Counterpart
by flairina
Summary: AU. For three years, Haruhi never once gave up hope that somewhere out there, all those things she dreamed of might really exist. For some reason, neither did someone else...
1. Like Wanting to Smash a Funhouse Mirror

North High. The school of John Smith.

It's my first day here, and today is the day everything changes. This is where interesting things are bound to happen- they HAVE to happen.

It's my last hope.

Here we go...

3-3-3

The classroom is boring. The teacher is boring. And from what I've seen of the students, they're boring too. This isn't looking good...

Okay, calm down. It's not as if things are always as they appear on the surface, and it hasn't even been an hour yet. I haven't even announced my purpose or done any real investigating yet. No reason to panic.

2-2

Ugh. We're doing the lame "introduce yourself" thing again. Whatever. At least it'll give me a chance to make my goals and interests clear.

One by one, everyone stands up and says some meaningless little blurb about themselves, putting no effort in to it whatsoever. I don't even bother remembering their names, they're obviously not anyone I'm going to want to talk too. There's got to be someone interesting in this school...

-1

It's almost my turn. The guy in front of me is sure to be as equally plain and dull as the rest, I can just tell. The normalcy is practically oozing off this one; even his hair is literally the exact style I think of when I envision "average". Hurry it up...

He stands up, and the moment average-guy opens his mouth, my jaw nearly drops in disbelief.

0

"My true name is not important. You may refer to me as Kyon. I have absolutely no interest in ordinary humans. However, if any of you are aliens, time travelers, sliders, espers, or any other type of supernatural beings, please come see me!"

"That is all."

He sits back down.

Did- did this guy just steal my entire introduction?! That was almost word for word what I was going to say! What the hell?! There's no way I'm letting him get away with that!

I stand up, slamming my hands down on my desk. "Hey! You!"

"Kyon" turns around to stare at me, along with the entire rest of the class. I can now see his face, and it's even MORE irritatingly normal than I could have imagined! Where does such a drab looking guy get off trying to pretend he's interesting?!

"What? Unless you're a supernatural being, I don't want to talk to you." he says in an infuriatingly dull near-monotone.

Then his expression turns quizzical, even a little excited. "Are you?"

I think I'm about to boil over.

"Says the guy who's an esper himself! I'm Suzumiya Haruhi, and you just stole the words right out of my mind! First of all, how dare you, and second, you really couldn't think up your own introduction?! What kind of lame mind reader are you?!"

Average-guy (there's no way I'm calling him "Kyon" just because he thinks he's special enough to give himself his own nickname, no matter how stupid it is) grunts in annoyance. "Hey, as much as I wish I WAS an esper, I'm not. What, do you think I'm lying when I say that's what I'm looking for?"

I really hope he's telling the truth about not being an esper, because I'm already starting to hate him. It wouldn't do for my first paranormal encounter to be this guy. "No, that's what I'M looking for! If there are any supernatural beings in this school, they can come to me! Not you!"

"Excuse me?"

I look up. The teacher whose name I didn't bother listening too is looking at us, still smiling, but evidently running out of patience.

"If you two are done...?"

No, actually, I'm not. Not even close. But when I look back at the maddening boy in front of me I've completely lost my momentum, and have to settle for giving him a death glare as I cross my arms and sit back down.

Great. Average-guy screwed up my introduction so badly that I ended up looking like a raving lunatic. Not even the kind who actually has a reason for it, just an angry, possibly violent one. What sort of supernatural being is going to willingly come talk to me after that sort of first impression?

This isn't fair...

**KHJSKHJS**

After that, everything proceeds exactly the way I had expected it would- the way I had prayed to the heavens that it wouldn't. It's just like middle school, only somehow even MORE ordinary, besides the pretender sitting in front of me. I cannot wait until the seats are shuffled, even staring at the back of his head is making me mad.

As lunchtime approaches, I get ready to bolt out of the room so I can search the other classes for interesting people, and possibly at least salvage some part of today. When the bell rings I shoot out of my seat like a cannonball, so ready to leave the room that I nearly trip on my desk on the way to the door.

Except that the infuriating boy (the back of whose neck I know quite well by now due to having been glaring at it for the past couple hours) jumps up at the same time, moving for the same door I'm heading out of. Don't you dare-!

Naturally, I move to cut him off, and he attempts the same. It's a race to the door that he reaches just a hair before me (not fair, his legs are longer!), which doesn't mean all that much, as our concurrent attempts at being first just gets both of us caught in the narrow passage. Damnit, leave me alone already!

I try to shove him backwards, but he attaches his hands to the doorframe and tries to pull me out of the way. I pull, he shoves. I shove, he pulls.

That's it. I've had enough of this guy for one day.

When I turn and move to knee him in a place I know he won't be able to recover from, he notices it and takes the opportunity to grab for my hair, both of us succeeding. As satisfying as it is when he drops like a load of bricks, I can't take proper pleasure in it since his hand is still clenched around my hair, making me cry out in pain as I'm dragged to the ground with him.

In tandem, we collapse face first through the door, both of us crashing to the ground in serious pain. I can hear people laughing from inside the classroom. _Laughing_! This is humiliating!

I turn my head to glower at him, still on my back. He's on his stomach, doing the same to me.

Still irritatingly in sync, he opens his mouth just as I'm opening mine to give him a piece of my mind.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

...

I've got it. This guy is some sort of evil male doppelganger, sent here to prevent me from making any progress or ever finding anything. Well, I'm certainly not going to let HIM stop me! I've waited three years to get here, and if he thinks he can waltz right in and destroy all my plans on the first day, he's got another thing coming!

I stand up in tandem with him (would you stop that?!), rubbing the back of my head where my hair got pulled. Clearly I need to try something different.

Rounding on my obviously evil counterpart, I give him a very forced grin.

"..._Sorry..._ about that." I manage to get out through gritted teeth. "Why don't you go on and do whatever you were going to do? I think I'm going to sit back down in the classroom for a few minutes."

Average-guy gives me an odd look, before turning around and stalking (with a notable limp, I gleefully note) off down the hall, muttering under his breath. Good riddance.

I do actually decide to reenter the classroom for now. I'll give him plenty of time to get far, far away, even if it cuts in to the time I was going to use to look into the other classrooms. There'll be plenty of opportunities to investigate them in the days to come anyways- so long as I'm not around _him_, I'm willing to sacrifice a few minutes of my schedule.

The classroom seems to have quickly forgotten the door incident, thankfully, with everyone simply engaging in the sort of typical, banal talk I've grown so tired of. At the moment, I don't think I could ask for much more. Three more minutes and I'm taking off again.

"...So, there really is another Suzumiya out there, huh? That 'Kyon' guy and her would be perfect for each other I'd bet."

It takes all my willpower to ignore Taniguchi talking to some brown haired guy in the corner. I apparently have had the misfortune of being stuck in the same class with him again. Just another wonderful addition to this perfect first day of high school.

"Hey Kunikida, you know that guy, right? Which of 'em do you think will make the first move? Suzumiya's not exactly shy, but it doesn't look like this 'Kyon' is either..."

Does he think I can't hear him, or is he really just that rude? What an ass.

**KHJSKHJS**

Three minutes seems to take an eternity to pass. The moment it does, I rocket out of my seat, blissfully free of the hellish double that's been plaguing me all morning. Maybe I can finally get on with my plans without _him_ interfering.

Moving even quicker than usual, I do a few quick scans of the nearby rooms- no one strikes me as particularly interesting. Most of them don't even glance up. But I've still got quite a lot of school to search.

After I've checked most of the rooms on the lower floor (not promising), I decide to check out a few of the upstairs ones before heading back. Sprinting up the stairway, I end up stopping in my tracks as soon as I reach the top- _he_ is peering in to one of the rooms, looking for all the world like he's doing the exact same thing that I am. For the love of- does this guy do anything BUT what I was already going to do?! Besides that, I gave him plenty of time to move on, why is he still here?!

Average-guy pulls his head out of the doorway, looking disappointed. This changes when he notices me, and the barely restrained rage contained in the scowl I'm leveling at him.

"For God's sake, do you have ANY original ideas?" I bark, too annoyed to keep myself from speaking my mind. "And if you're just copying me, what is taking you so long?! I waited practically forever for you to move somewhere faaaaar away in the school, yet here I find you barely one floor away!"

"Well, being _kneed in the groin_ tends to slow one down, Suzumiya." he returns snappily. "Besides, I can't go too far, or I won't make it back to class in time. Same for you, I'd imagine, unless you don't care about the actual school part of, you know, school."

Before I can offer a rebuttal, he continues.

"Also, I'm getting really fed up with this 'copying' business. How do I know you aren't the one copying ME, huh? You introduced yourself after me, you got to the door after me, and apparently you've been checking out the classrooms after me. From where I'm standing, it sure looks like it's _you_ that's the copycat, not me."

A black look comparable only to my own punctuates this statement, matching my current one in intensity.

...I have never met anyone I have loathed more than I do this person. In less than half a day he's managed to upstage me at every single turn, earning more of my ire than every naysayer and disbeliever I've met in the past three years. Quite an accomplishment, considering how much I hated some of my teachers and classmates.

Our impromptu staring contest is interrupted by the bell, which means BOTH of us are late to get back to class. Wonderful. Jackass here has managed to smear my perfect attendance record coming out of junior high on the very first day.

We march back stiffly, side by side, occasionally throwing dagger-filled glares over our shoulders at the other. The class stares as we walk in with a volitile electrical charge practically visible between our faces, but I couldn't care less about their opinions at this point. I don't even know why I was embarrassed earlier, it's not like I'm planning on interacting with anyone who isn't interesting, if I can help it.

Speaking of being able to avoid talking to people I have no interest in dealing with, I do my best to ignore Average-guy for the rest of the day, which thankfully isn't nearly as hard as it was this morning. At the end of the day I make sure to wait until he's already out the door before sprinting out myself. Luckily, it seems he lives on the opposite side of the school from me, so I won't ever have to deal with him on the way down the hill. Thank God.

Fueled by my pent up aggravation from the day, my legs carry me home at speeds even I probably haven't reached before. Not that I can appreciate it, because all that's on my mind is _him_...

No time is wasted between entering my house and proceeding to my room to punch a few pillows across it.

When I said I wanted to find something interesting, I didn't mean having to deal with my evil male clone. What was I _thinking _transferring to North High?! I could have gone to Kouyouen if I'd wanted! Why did I have to pick a place cohabited by someone so intolerable?!

_John Smith..._

...Right. Him. The first person who ever believed in me- one of the only ones.

Thinking about him fuels my determination even now. He went there, and he's the primary reason I'm still searching, even after countless failures. That school HAS to be hiding something interesting...

I'll just have to find way to cope. Average-guy is an annoyance, and a big one, but surely there's a method I can use to get around his fiendish copycat ways.

I have to see this through...

**KHJSKHJS**

In my dreams that night, I find myself once again watching the blue giants that occasionally show up to smash the city apart. They seem particularly rage-filled tonight, which I don't really mind. It matches my mood perfectly.

A single thought dominates my mind, even in the land of slumber.

_Don't you dare think this is over, "Kyon". _

_It's only just begun..._

* * *

Welcome to a story that will either be updated like mad, or rarely ever updated at all. I couldn't help myself; the idea appeared out of nowhere while I was working on Reality Roulette, and suddenly I was up until 1 in the morning writing this. Now I have FIVE stories that I'm supposed to be updating; I think I finally see why fanfictions are so rarely finished. ADCD must run rampant. Spoiler alert: the hate won't last. Just in case anyone was worried about that.

As always, thanks for reading. Hit me up with a review maybe? They are the fuel that feeds my muse. In fact, they fuel most fanfic writer's muses. They are a hungry species.


	2. The Way I See Things Now

I have never believed in Santa Claus.

The reasoning should be obvious. Maybe it was just because the preschool teacher pretending to be Santa was so terrible at his job, but that belief never took hold in me. No one ever specifically told me, I figured it out on my own. It was alright though- since I never believed in the illusion, it's not as if Christmas ever decreased in meaning or value for me. Sure it wasn't as "special" as it was for the more naive kids, but it still meant something.

You might think this is where I explain how I lost my faith in certain other fantastical things as well. If so, you've got another thing coming.

On the contrary, my belief that there are supernatural beings, powers, and places out there is raging stronger than ever before. Aliens, time-travelers, ghosts, monsters, espers, evil organizations, and all manner of other things- the thought of finding them is the fuel I use to keep myself going. They might be hiding, or rare, or even impossible for a normal human to sense, but my mind is made up. In all likelihood, we simply haven't discovered them yet- they carry on with their secret lives, just waiting to be found by someone like me.

It's true that there was a time I sank so deep in to despair and apathy that I almost stopped believing. My life was tedious, normal, and didn't look to be about to change any time soon. All my dreams were shattering around me- no mysterious student ever transferred in to my class, no mystical power had ever awoken inside me, no amount of yearning and hoping for the excitement I craved had done me any good. Most of the people I knew told me to give up, none of it was real, it was all just stories and shows. I was doomed to a life just like everybody else's, and it seemed that there was nothing I could do about it.

But right when all seemed bleakest, and I was about to give in and accept the dull "truth" of life, _she_ appeared.

She knew everything I had on my mind before I even said it, and told me with no hesitation in her voice that I was wrong. She said that I shouldn't give up on my aspirations, no matter how much others stood against them- after all, if you only believe what everyone else says, then what does that make you? She assured me, with a certainty I've never heard from anyone else, that those supernatural beings were out there.

But most importantly, she _believed_ in me.

It was a sign that I couldn't have ignored even if I'd tried. Even after she left, her words bolstered me, reigniting a flame that had been on the verge of going out.

She... she was right. Why had I been thinking that just because most people don't believe in any of it, it couldn't exist? Mankind has been wrong _countless_ times before- there are things we know and do today we declared outright impossible less than half a century ago! Computers and rockets, atoms and DNA, the sheer scale of the universe and everything scattered throughout it- at one time all these things were thought to be fantasy, that they could never possibly exist, because humanity as a general whole tends to think it has a completely correct view of the world at any present time. But that's a flawed viewpoint, because all the information about what we think can't be real isn't fact, it's _theory_, which just means we assume "it can't be possible" until someone proves otherwise.

If that's true, then who's to say there AREN'T aliens, time-travelers, espers, or any number of other paranormal beings in existence even now, that we just haven't found yet? Constant new discoveries have proved it time and time again- no matter how right we think we are, no matter how much we might think we know, reality can send us all scrambling when it _slams us in the __face_ with the fact that we were wrong.

Her words made me realize that you can't live your life worried about what others think about you. You have to stand tall and shout to the world just what it is want, and tell it you don't care if everyone around tells you it's impossible, or it can't be done. It isn't their call- the question of anything, supernatural existence included, is up to reality itself, not them. And if someone isn't willing to at least consider the possibility that there might be something out there they don't know about, they aren't worth talking too. Let them babble all they want- they'll only feel that much dumber when you prove them wrong.

It was on that day that I decided that if the supernatural wasn't going to come to me, I was going to come to it. Sure, such beings might be hard to find, especially if they were hiding themselves. But if I never did anything but sit around and wish, I knew that I'd be waiting for a very long time. The passive approach hadn't worked- it was time to be proactive.

For the most part, I stopped trying to find any mysterious powers within myself. If I'm human, I'm human. That's genetics, I can't change that.

But who says a human can't find and be involved in something unbelievable? We've done plenty of amazing things before, after all. Sure, I may not be special, but as long as I don't give up, something is bound to happen eventually.

As I walk up the hill to the high school I'll be attending for the next three years, I reflect on this and smile.

I owe her more than she could ever know.

**KHJSKHJS**

As I sit down at a random desk, I think over my plans for today. On the inside, I'm excited- checking out a high school for the supernatural is something I've been looking forward too for a while now. Popular fiction seems to think high schools are major hotspots for the paranormal to disguise itself or hide away in, and even if they're just stories, who knows? Perhaps they hold a grain of truth. Either way, it's a convenient place to search- I'll be coming here almost every day, and have the chance to thoroughly examine any suspicious characters.

A man who quickly confirms himself to be the teacher walks in and announces the first order of business. Ahh, introductions. What a chore. I get why they're necessary, but compared to everything else they seem so... trivial. At least I'll get to make myself clear, I suppose.

I've long since embraced the nickname my aunt and little sister so lovingly bestowed upon me. In fact, I think I'll even use it while I'm here- silly it may be, but I'm rather fond of it. The person I am now is different than who I was before that fateful encounter with _her_. You might even say that it's a symbol and reminder of my quest, despite the moniker not coming in to existence at exactly the same time I made my resolution.

Inevitably, my turn comes around. Fully prepared for what I'm about to do, I stand- I doubt I'll be making many friends after this, but that doesn't really matter. I hardly care about how most people see me anymore. The only thing that matters is finding _them_. And I plan to let them know it.

That in mind, I make my proclamation.

"My true name is not important. You may refer to me as Kyon. I have absolutely no interest in ordinary humans. However, if any of you are aliens, time travelers, sliders, espers, or any other type of supernatural beings, please come see me!"

"That is all." I finish, sitting back down.

The people in class who didn't come from my old school are staring at me, sheer disbelief in their eyes. Whatever. What matters is that the first step has been taken.

Any supernatural beings that are truly determined to hide, for whatever reason, I doubt I'll be able to find with my typical investigation methods. If they've managed to stay hidden thus far, they're probably pretty skilled at it. It's unlikely I'll be able to sleuth them out just by examining them from a distance, and I can't make friends with everyone in the entire school just to get closer to each of them and check.

Announcing my intent is therefore harmless, and tells any hidden supernatural beings who might need a human confidant or sidekick that I'm open for the position. In addition, it might put any others on edge, meaning I can check people for nervousness or skittishness around me- there's no downside to this plan. That is, assuming there aren't any particularly malevolent types around, but they can't just up and attack me in front of everyone else, so if anyone asks me to go somewhere with them alone I'll just make sure to come prepared.

The sound of flesh impacting wood comes from directly behind me. "Hey! You!"

I turn in my seat- the girl who was up next to introduce herself is giving me a look I can only describe as a mixture of righteous fury and completely incredulity.

Great. Another one who's going to tell me I'm crazy.

"What? Unless you're a supernatural being, I don't want to talk to you."

...Wait, could she be? I wouldn't have expected any sort of immediate response, especially not in the middle of class, but maybe...

"Are you?"

Her look turns near-murderous. Apparently not.

"Says the guy who's an esper himself!"

Wait, what?

"I'm Suzumiya Haruhi, and you just stole the words right out of my mind! First of all, how dare you, and second, you really couldn't think up your own introduction?! What kind of lame mind reader are you?!"

...Is this some sort of bizarre way of teasing me? Stole her introduction? Who the hell _else_ introduces themselves like that? There's no way.

"Hey, as much as I wish I WAS an esper, I'm not. What, do you think I'm lying when I say that's what I'm looking for?"

The response is instantaneous. "No, that's what I'M looking for! If there are any supernatural beings in this school, they can come to me! Not you!"

"Excuse me?"

Apparently the teacher hasn't the patience to put up with this. I don't either, so I'm pleased when the long haired girl sits back down, her eyes blazing in their sockets all the while.

Well, that was certainly the most _original_ method of telling me to give it up I've ever experienced. Accusing me of being an esper and trying to redirect any supernatural interest to herself. How unusual.

Although... could she have been being honest? If she really WAS about to introduce herself the same way, then... perhaps I've found a kindred spirit of sorts?

Hmm. This warrants further investigation. Not today though, too much to do.

**KHJSKHJS**

Finally, lunchtime. I'll be skipping it today in favor of doing a preliminary scan of the other classes- I find it unlikely that anything will be immediately apparent, but you've got to start simple before trying anything more complex.

At the sounding of the bell I'm out of my seat immediately. And so is someone else- what's-her-name (Suzumiya, I think she said) is making tracks for the door as well, and moves to cut me off. While I'm normally not that competitive, nor terribly athletic, something in me refuses to let her reach it before I do. Back off, I got up first!

We reach the exit simultaneously, and an epic struggle for the door ensues. I'll give the girl this- she's pretty strong. I can't get to the hall with her in the way, and she's not giving any ground.

In the moment I see her knee move, I resign myself- from the position I'm in, I can't dodge that. But if I'm going down, so is she. I make a wild grab for her hair, manage to clamp a fistful between my fingers, and hold on tight.

As expected, the second her leg fully connects I crumple at the waist. I have never been subjected to an attack like that, and hope never to be so again. But my grip on her hair doesn't slacken, and as I fall to my knees and through the open door, she yelps and comes toppling down with me.

For a brief period, we both just lie there, laughter issuing from the inside of the classroom. As much as I've grown used to people talking behind my back, laughter still stings.

This. Girl. That was a dirty move and she knew it. Who does that over a petty squabble?!

I turn my head towards her just as she's doing the same, both of us opening our mouths to speak.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

…

You know, I'd thought perhaps this girl was actually a lot like me, but now she's yelling at me because I retaliated when I saw her about to knee me in a rather sensitive area. What's wrong with me? How was that my fault?

Maybe she's not worth asking around about after all. I'm not sure I really want to put up with her any more than I'm already going to have to do so in class.

As I stand up and brush myself off, still in moderate pain, she unexpectedly turns and plasters on an obviously fake smile.

"..._Sorry..._ about that." she says in the least sincere voice I've ever heard. "Why don't you go on and do whatever you were going to do? I think I'm going to sit back down in the classroom for a few minutes."

...Well, I didn't anticipate that, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I've got things to do.

Leaving her with a suspicious glance, I turn away and march off down the hallway, though it's really more of a halting plod due to my rather recent injury. Cursing the girl under my breath, I stumble my way towards the next classroom...

**KHJSKHJS**

It can't have been but 15 minutes before our next encounter occurs. I've just finished looking over one of the classes on the upper floor for any obviously suspicious students (and found nothing) when the practically tangible aura of anger hits me.

My head swivels towards the stairwell, already knowing what to expect. Sure enough, it's Suzumiya. Again.

"For God's sake, do you have ANY original ideas?" she screeches, apparently just as riled by my presence as I am by hers. "And if you're just copying me, what is taking you so long?! I waited practically forever for you to move somewhere faaaaar away in the school, yet here I find you barely one floor away!"

No, I'm not taking this from her. She's the reason I haven't been moving as fast as I'd like to begin with!

"Well, being _kneed in the groin_ tends to slow one down, Suzumiya." I retort, having lost all willingness to be civil after the door episode. "Besides, I can't go too far, or I won't make it back to class in time. Same for you, I'd imagine, unless you don't care about the actual school part of, you know, school."

Okay, to be fair, I'm not exactly the best student myself, but today is literally our first day of high school. Even I can at least make it back from lunch on time on the first day.

Why does she keep saying I'm copying her anyways? Unless I'm somehow subconsciously utilizing some sort of psychic ability that drags information out of her head and makes me think it's my own (which would be pretty useless in most cases I'd think), it seems more like it's the other way around.

I decide to confront her on this before she ends up yelling something else that doesn't make all that much sense. "Also, I'm getting really fed up with this 'copying' business. How do I know you aren't the one copying ME, huh? You introduced yourself after me, you got to the door after me, and apparently you've been checking out the classrooms after me."

At least, I gather that's what she's been doing if she's claiming I'm only imitating her. That should have put her off kilter, now for the final blow- maybe this will get her off my back.

"From where I'm standing, it sure looks like it's _you_ that's the copycat, not me."

I send a cutting, piercing gaze her way to match the frosty one she's giving me.

We must have stood there locking eyes for much longer than it felt, because before either of us says anything more to the other, the bell rings, signaling that we are, in fact, late to get back to class. Oh come ON...

Despite everything, I find myself walking back beside her, both of us sending choler-filled glares over our shoulders that promise oncoming retribution to the other at the nearest opportunity. We're the center of attention as we walk back in, largely due to the way we keep glaring at each other.

Finally we stop, and I slide back in to my seat. Right as I do, I swear I hear someone mutter "Did they hook up _already_?" to someone else- if I ever find out who that was, they'll be finding themselves on the receiving end of a swift backhand.

**KHJSKHJS**

As I walk down the hill that I can already tell I'll be tired of having to climb every day by the end of the week, I reflect on my first day at North High.

...It wasn't exactly what I'd expected. I'm disappointed at the lack of leads thus far, but it's only been a day, so that's nothing to be upset over. Not yet, at least.

That girl, however, is a different matter. I don't even know if she's being sincere or not. Is she actually trying to find the same things I'm searching for, or is she just trying to annoy and/or discourage me?

Was it a mistake to come to North High? Not that I had much choice in the matter, but if I'd known this was what I'd encounter, would I have tried harder to get in to a better school?

...No, I don't think I would. This is where _she_ went, unless she stole the uniform for some reason. When I met her, it almost felt as if she herself was hiding something- even if she's probably graduated by now, going to her school can only increase my chances of encountering something supernatural, I'm sure of it.

Suzumiya Haruhi, you're just going to have to deal. I'm not leaving, so either get out or get used to it.

I reach the spot my bike is chained up and clamber on, heading towards home but still in an introspective mood.

Maybe I should try to look at things from her angle. Taking Suzumiya at her word, I "stole" what she was going to say, ended up fighting with her in the doorway, and then was inspecting classrooms at the same time she was trying to do so. Okay, I guess I would be rather angry if someone somehow preceded my every move, but I certainly wouldn't act like... that.

Come to think of it, is it possible she's maybe a gender-switched clone, or female slider version of me? Or something to that effect, at least? That would be incredible, and would explain a lot about what happened today, but if so then we haven't really gotten off on the right foot. Primarily because from what I've seen she's kind of obnoxious, not to mention stubborn.

Regardless, perhaps I can try to make amends tomorrow. Even if she did plant her knee in the worst place you can hit a guy, I'd rather not have made an enemy before the school year even really starts.

Though, if she's not willing...

Well, no one will ever say I didn't try.

* * *

For now, it seems we're on "whirlwind update" schedule. This was done literally a day after I finished the first chapter- I don't think I've ever written that fast before. Of course, this chapter is largely just a POV switch of the last one, so that's probably why. ^^; While the story won't necessarily be switching viewpoints every other chapter, I felt that this one was important. The way Kyon sees things is rather different than in canon, after all, and you wouldn't necessarily be able to tell from Haruhi's POV. Sorry if he seems to go on a little long in the beginning, I couldn't trim it much more.

Also, I had literally at least three different directions in mind that this story could go- I feel like I could make an AU off this AU the second I'm done with it. Maybe I actually will. :D

Reviews are the soothing liquid that lets ideas flow smoothly from my brain to the page. Ah, to float down a river of them, such would be bliss...


	3. Such a Fickle Thing, The Mind

_-Haruhi-_

I wake up long before my alarm goes off, but feeling a lot better than I did when I went to sleep all the same. Remembering watching a dream version of the city get destroyed usually does make me feel better for some reason. Maybe it's because the buildings getting smashed are all symbols of what "normal" life is supposed to be about.

Still, today is going to be better than yesterday, I can feel it. My chances of finding an alien or time traveler feel high- although I wonder, what I could do to make them come to me instead of the other way around? That's got to be easier than trying to chase them down with no idea if I'm even heading in the right direction. With guys, sex appeal almost always reels them in, and I doubt that changes even with supernatural ones, but the uniform is standardized, and that doesn't solve how to attract any that might be girls...

Ah, forget it. I'll figure it out when I need too I'm sure.

I get dressed and turn to my bedroom mirror to examine myself. Today's Tuesday, so I need-

Wait.

Running my fingers through my hair, I examine its length. I've been growing it out for a while now, but I'm not really all that attached to it. It just lets me be a little different each day.

So long as Average-guy leaves me alone, everything should work out.

But in the event that he doesn't leave me alone...

Working fast, I give myself a quick haircut. The end result isn't too bad, especially considering my lack of experience. Now, if I end up fighting that guy again, he won't be able to pull it nearly as easily.

My hair still needs a ribbon though. I could go with red like I usually would on Tuesday... but with my hair at only around shoulder length now, I can't tie it off twice without it looking ridiculous. Is it really worth it to change one part but not both?

Oh, who cares. The qualities of the week should be obvious to anyone who takes a moment to think about them anyways; they don't need me to represent them. There's no way I'm losing or drawing with _him_ next time for the sake of expressing the color and number of the day. Come to think of it, I'd sort of fallen in to a predictable pattern with those- ironically while trying to get away from that sort of repetition- so maybe this is for the best.

I pick up my yellow ribbon, tie it in like a headband, and check my reflection.

Hmm... I actually look pretty good, if I do say so myself. It's kind of refreshing to have a hairstyle I haven't been using over and over, to be honest.

My morning routine is rushed and filled with my mom repeatedly asking what I did to my hair. All nonessentials are skipped in favor of getting to the school as fast as possible- for me, waking up this early isn't an excuse to go back to sleep, it's an opportunity. If I take advantage of this, I can spend the time before class starts searching for any hidden rooms within the school, and do a preliminary sweep of any areas where it might pay off to do a more thorough search later, like the basement. Plus, there's the bonus that Average-guy won't be there yet to screw anything up.

At least he'd _better_ not be there yet...

**KHJSKHJS**

Thankfully, it seems even _he_ can't be bothered to get to school this early. There's a good hour or so before homeroom starts, and I intend to make the most of it.

I race as unobtrusively as I can through the halls, knocking on the walls and hoping for a more hollow sound than expected to return. Sadly, they all seem annoyingly solid, and staying out of sight from the few teachers wandering the hallways (what, do they SLEEP here?) slows me down. Before I know it, half my time is gone- to the basement then.

It only takes me a couple of minutes to find the stairs that lead downwards, since I passed by here and took note of them earlier. Grinning, I leap down three steps at a time, make a three point landing, reach for the door handle, and-

_Ktch ktch_

Locked? Who locks a school's basement door? There could be ghosts in there that I am _missing out_ on meeting because someone thought that what, a burglar might try to steal the school's hot water tank?!

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

Turning around rewards me with the sight of a grumpy looking old man who appears to be a teacher, if his clothes and the books under his arm are anything to go by. I've been caught, but maybe that's not a bad thing at the moment.

"Trying to get in to the basement! Think you can let me in?" I holler from the bottom of the steps.

Old-guy scowls at me. "No I'm not going to let you in to the basement! You have absolutely no business there! Get back to class!"

Why do I never run in to anyone cooperative? It's like the whole world is opposed to finding anything fun because it's so caught up with following _rules_.

"Class hasn't started yet, and I need to check this basement for ghosts! It'll only take a few minutes! Come on, I know you've got the keys!"

**KHJSKHJS**

For a guy probably pushing 60, he's got a surprisingly strong grip.

After I get dragged to the main office, the principal predictably yammers on about how I can't be doing this sort of thing, and I give him a couple of fake apologies and promise it won't happen again until he releases me- five minutes before class. Great, he wasted almost all my remaining time!

I'm still steaming when I enter homeroom, which isn't helped by the fact that my male doppelganger turns to greet me when I sit down.

"Good morning, Suzumiya-san."

Suzumiya-san? Someone's being awfully polite considering yesterday's events. Regardless, he is the LAST person I want to talk to right about now.

Even though I don't respond, he goes on talking anyways.

"Something go wrong this morning?"

"Yes, something did go wrong, and something else is going wrong right now. Namely, you're still talking to me!" I shoot back, intent on making him shut up.

Average-guy seems perplexed. Is it _really_ that hard to figure out? You're annoying! I'm in a bad mood! Don't talk to me!

After a few more moments of silence it seems as if that's the end of it. Turning my gaze downwards to stare at nothing in particular, I puzzle over what to do next. Alright, so if I want to get in to the basement, I'll have to come back at-

"So, any particular reason you decided to cut your hair?"

_Why_ is he still trying to initiate a conversation with me?! Take a hint!

I lock eyes with Average-guy and give him another death glare, my temper wearing thin. "WHAT do you want?! There is NO reason for you to be talking to me right now, or EVER for that matter! Since you're copying me you should already know I'm not interested in talking to ordinary people, especially you! Leave me alone!"

Perhaps I'm replying with a bit more venom than he really deserves- he hasn't done anything particularly wrong today, after all. But if he's so set on being an outlet for my anger at Old-guy and the principal, I'll gladly oblige him.

The boy sitting in front of me sighs. "Okay, Suzumiya-san, I think we got off on the wrong foot yesterday. Assuming you were being honest, you seem a lot like me. We both want to find something extraordinary, which you'd think would mean we'd get along better than this. I don't see any reason we should fight when we can easily carry on without interfering with the other's efforts. Truce?"

I almost laugh. Oh _please_. Like I'd really believe that was said in honesty. What, is he backpedaling because he's trying to work up to some sort of date proposal? I'd say he'd get more points for actually asking me out in person, except that he's already established himself as a total jackass that I wouldn't consider dating even if just to check for anything unusual. Besides, aside from copying my personality, he's as dull as they get.

"If you really wanted to find something special, I doubt you'd intentionally make yourself look like that. Have you ever passed by a mirror? I bet your picture is literally in the dictionary under the word 'everyman'." I reply, stating what's on my mind.

His eyes turn stony. "I see. So, should I take that as a sign that you don't want me to apologize, and you'd prefer to be enemies?"

Okay, admittedly, that last comment was a little more snide than was really necessary- not that he'll ever get me to admit it. Is he actually trying to say he's sorry? That doesn't seem like something I would do, and if he's just taking cues from me... I guess he doesn't have me down perfectly after all. Good! There's only one Suzumiya Haruhi, and it's me. No copies, male or otherwise, allowed!

My mood lifts. Grinning smugly and crossing my arms, I lean back in my chair, feeling much more in control of the situation than before.

"Fine. I'll take that apology, but keep in mind I know not to trust a doppelganger."

Said previously stony eyes go rolling in their sockets. "You sure don't make it easy to apologize, you know that? Regrettable as it is, I'm not a doppelganger. Not even the non-mythical type. Kindly realize that from my perspective it seems like the exact opposite situation- and while we're on the topic, I have a couple of questions I'd like to ask-"

Uh huh, before you say anything else, where's that apology?

"Kyon" lets out a short, frustrated growl before recomposing himself. "Alright. I am sorry I 'stole' your plans yesterday. It wasn't my intention, and I hope you'll forgive me for it. To avoid a repeat of that, let's agree to search civilly from now on- so long I leave you alone, you leave me alone. Sound fair?"

...

My mood drops just as fast as it rose, and I'm not entirely sure why.

...

"_Real_ sincere sounding. Did you practice that much?" is my eventual response.

I regret the words the second they leave my mouth. Why did I say that? That was completely uncalled for; he sounded perfectly genuine. So why I couldn't bring myself to say so...?

"...you know, somehow I don't feel like we've really resolved anything if that reply was any indication." Average-guy says while staring at me, his face now wearing a rather cynical expression. "Do you accept my apology or not?"

A minor war erupts between the part of me that wants to say yes and get him to leave me alone permanently, and the part of me that wants to say no for reasons I don't even understand. This is stupid! I have nothing to gain by refusing! Just accept the apology and move on! When a chance like this is handed to you it must be seized then and there, lest it be lost forever! So why is my mouth refusing to-

Before I can argue myself in to submission, the decision is taken out of my hands, as the teacher walks in and Average-guy's patience runs out.

"Fine." he grunts, evidently taking my lack of response as a no. "If that's the way you want it, then we have nothing left to discuss, Suzumiya."

He turns away, back towards the front of the room, and class begins.

We don't speak for the rest of the day.

**KHJSKHJS**

School is over, and since getting home I've spent the majority of my time impotently pacing my room, trying to figure out what mental malfunction caused me to not just forgive Average-guy and let that be the end of it.

Maybe I really am as crazy as everyone says. I wasn't angry by that point, so there was no reason, or even any plausible excuse for me not to just say "apology accepted, bye" and be done with it! He was genuinely trying to make amends, and despite my literally ASKING for it, for some reason I didn't like it and threw in back in his face! Even if he hadn't sounded sincere, I could have at least used it as an excuse to get him to leave me alone from now on, but instead I didn't say anything, let the chance pass me by, and willingly doomed myself to hell! What is _wrong_ with me?!

Also on the file concerning personal mental stupidity, I should have gotten mad when he dropped the honorific again at the end of the conversation. Yet instead of marking that down as another item on my list of personal grievances with him, I was almost... _happy_. Some certifiable part of me got _something_ out of knowing I was still on unfavorable terms with copycat boy, which doesn't make any sen-!

An epiphany strikes, completely derailing my thought process.

...Ah. So that's it then.

Having had my flash of insight, I stop my pacing and lie down on my bed, content to simply stare at the ceiling until I'm finished thinking through this latest discovery.

That being that deep down, I don't think I really want to be on good terms with him.

Sure, accepting his words would have probably saved me a lot of grief and trouble in the future. But if things remain as they are, that means instead of working peacefully but separate from each other, we'll be in constant competition.

And that means I can _outdo_ him.

I can prove that I'm better than his cheap imitation act. I can show him that I'll be the one to find supernatural excitement long before he ever does- IF he ever does (which I doubt). I'll FINALLY have someone to oppose me- and someone to deal a subsequent crushing defeat too. Some part of me recognized that, and refused to pass up the chance to make it happen. Admittedly, it's not exactly the sort of triumphing-in-the-face-of-evil scenario I'd prefer, but it'll do for now.

That is, unless he really _is _a genuine doppelganger- I've just been saying that because the name fits his actions, but if he turned out to actually be one, that would make him a true villain to combat and eventually stand victorious over. Now that would be awesome.

On that note, it occurs to me that I haven't even considered any other possibilities besides doppelganger (and I suppose esper) for my currently forming "joke theory" of Average-guy actually being something mysterious in disguise. Probably because he was such a jerk yesterday that my mind leapt to the only obviously malevolent one it could think of. There's no way a guy that ordinary actually is anything, but it's fun to think about. What else could he be? Some sort of imperfect clone? A slider me from some other dimension where I was born male? Myself time traveling to the past after a sex cha- alright that last theory is too stupid to even finish. None of these really seem to fit anyways, I don't think any version of me would waste their time on getting in my own way. Besides, I don't want to be even remotely related to him, no matter how distant it may be. This is why it's a joke theory; how could I possibly take it seriously?

I roll over. Well, whether he's something in disguise or not (he's not), at least I understand my own actions now. Keeping him somewhat angry at me will naturally pit us against each other. The race to find the supernatural will be not just a search, but a pitched battle, a clashing of rivals to find-

Wait, what am I thinking? Rivals? Yeah, right. It's a hero vs. villain (or maybe villainous underling in this case) relationship, not a balanced one. A completely average person like himself, pitted against me, supposedly as an equal? That's like-

Like saying I'm as normal... as normal as... he... is...

_'Because you ARE...'_

_'Shut up.'_ I tell the corner of my mind that I've tried to make a policy of ignoring.

_'It's not an insult when it's a perfect match, is it...?'_

No, I'm tired of wrestling with self-doubt. I've already done everything I can think of to make myself stand out from the crowd, stop thinking about this you stupid brain!

Attempting to block out that hated part of myself, I imagine locking it away behind a series of massive, laser guarded steel doors. Unfortunately, as part of my mind, that does nothing to stop the traitorous words from continuing.

_'...Because for all your talk, you are _just_ as average as he is...'_

I bury my head in the nearest pillow.

Stupid intrusive thoughts...

* * *

Not much but set up and introspection this chapter, I know. No worries, more exciting stuff (or at least more characters) coming up next.

Haruhi's little decision not to accept Kyon's apology and her subsequent confusion were hard to write. It seems like something she'd want to do even if she doesn't know initially why (just look at Book 8 and how enthusiastically she treats the "challenge" of the student council president), but there's little to go off of for how her thought process specifically might work in such an instance. Also, the part immediately after she "gets it" was harder to format so each line sounded correct than anything else I've ever written. Sorry if that seems a little off, there'll probably be a couple flurries of editing when I go over this again (which I do for every chapter- repeatedly).

Intrusive thoughts are something everyone has- if you've ever thought about, say, pushing someone from a high up ledge, and then been shocked and/or disgusted with yourself for thinking about that, that would be an intrusive thought. Usually they're easily brushed aside, but some can just make you feel terrible no matter how much you tell yourself they don't mean anything. In case We Can't All Be God didn't make it clear (though in that case the narrator is relatively ignorant about her actual mental state), Haruhi's thought process at the end of the chapter is one I know well.

You may think the reviews are not real. But you are wrong- your mind makes them real. Mainly because your mind is what comes up with the feedback and allows your fingers to type it out and hit submit. Think you could briefly spare your creative ability and make one here please?


	4. Fed Up, Dragged Up, Shut Up

It's been a week, and the minor depression I felt countless times during middle school is taking hold again.

This school really _is_ ordinary. My doppelganger, while annoying, had at least provided some hope in the proceeding days that maybe not everything was as normal as it seemed around here. That hope slowly hanged itself over the next few days as I investigated the classes and clubs, and found nothing worthy of even the most remote amount of interest. Everything here is exactly what you'd expect from a high school, and it's driving me crazy. I'd even take something really, _really_ small at this point, like an interesting looking rock that might house a sealed demon, or a blurry photograph of what could be a ghost in the bathroom. Hell, someone could even fake a paranormal event, like pretend they'd been abducted by aliens for a day, and I'd at least be less dispirited. Just, _something_. But no, I can't even get that little.

The other students in this place aren't helping either. Maybe it's because of my screwed up introduction, but so far the only people who've approached me are a smattering of ordinary looking girls who came up asking to be friends. After taking a few minutes to check each of them for signs that they might not be as they appeared (just in case), I drove each and every one of them off- judging by past experience, they're just seeking to make me more "normal". Ugh. Why anyone would want to be just like everyone else is something I'll never understand. The class president, some blue haired girl named Asakura, is the most persistent of them. She keeps coming up to me to try and persuade me to be more open and give the clubs another chance, or something like that- I'm not entirely certain that's actually what she's been saying, because whenever she comes up to my desk with that great big fake smile on, I immediately start to tune her out.

My life is stuck on tedious mode, and there is virtually no consolation to be found. Not even the fact that Average-guy hasn't found anything either is able to cheer me up at all. At least things are going well on that front- sort of. While our occasional interactions can be described as tense and heated (more on my side than his), we're not exactly enemies. More like neighboring countries both trying to strike oil, half to actually use it, half so they can rub their fortune in the other's face. The problem is that all either of them is finding is a massive amount of dirt, because the place they're digging in is completely barren of anything valuable.

Unlike me, he's still relatively cheerful. It's infuriating. But even competing with him is starting to bore me, because a "rivalry" (I still need a better word to call it) loses steam when neither side has anything to hold over the other's head and bait them with. When both sides are total failures, what's the point of a competition, even an informal one, to begin with?

More time passes, and by the end of the second week my mood gets bad enough that I actually turn to _him_ to complain- even if we share a semi-mutual disdain for each other, at least he'll understand where I'm coming from, unlike everyone else I know. I've sunk low.

"Why is this place so _boring_? With all these students, there's got to be _someone_ interesting around here, so why haven't they shown themselves?"

A couple of my classmates turn towards me at my rather loud question, but most of them ignore me. Average-guy doesn't say anything, or even turn around.

He DOES realize I'm talking to him, right?

I poke him in the back with the sharp end of my pencil until he responds, whirling around in his seat in a (futile) attempt to grab the writing implement away from me.

"What _now_, Suzumiya? It's the middle of class, I don't have time to argue with you!" he hisses through his teeth.

"Yes you do, you barely listen to anything the teacher says." I counter at a more indoor-appropriate volume than before. I know, because despite your posturing on the first day you've fallen asleep in class at least three times in the past week. "You heard me- why is this place so _boring_? It's a high school! Supposedly the home of pretty much _everything_ extraordinary! So why haven't I found anything yet?"

...

Talk, damn you! Why do you always take so long to think about what you're going to say?!

"...I'd say 'why should I care', except that you aren't going to leave me alone until I answer, are you?" he eventually (and correctly) sighs out. "If I tell you to just give it some more time, will that satisfy you?" he asks, trying to keep his voice down.

"Nope. Besides, _you_ haven't found anything either, shouldn't you be just as annoyed as I am?"

A grimace makes its way across his face. So it does bother him. "Trust me, I am annoyed. I really think that just giving it time might be it though. Keep in mind, we ARE working on our own. It's not as if we could realistically expect to find anything _immediately_ the way we're doing it, especially if they're deliberately hiding from us. And I doubt either of us could possibly have gone over every possibility and searched every part of this school in only two weeks. So like I said, give it time, and keep searching. Now if you'll excuse me..."

He turns back around, ending the conversation since I can't think of anything more to say. That wasn't nearly as satisfying as I would have liked; it was way too civil to qualify as an argument/battle in our miniature war.

A few minutes pass.

...

My desk nearly tips over as I leap out of my seat.

"That's it!"

It's brilliant. Why didn't I think of it before?

Average-guy turns towards me at my second outburst of the day, an eyebrow raised in my direction- which gives me another idea. Even if I'm not all that fond of him, he DID manage to inspire me just now, and no matter how bothersome he may be, I think he can be of some use in this case.

I grab for his necktie and manage to snag it before he can flinch away, using it to haul him to his feet.

"Make a club with me!"

The boy of the stupid nickname's eye twitches. "What? First of all, get off my tie, and second, why? What for?"

He pries my hand off and pulls away, but I'm not deterred in the slightest. "To search for aliens, time travelers, and espers of course! What other kind of club would be worth making?"

As I finish my statement, he gives me a strange look before raising a hand to his chin and looking at the ceiling, apparently thinking it over. Huh. And here I'd expected a flat "no" considering how he seems to like to make things as difficult as possible. Not that it really matters; he's helping whether he wants too or not.

"That's... not actually a horrible idea..."

Yeah, and this time it's mine. Now that I've announced it, you can't possibly steal this one or claim it as your own! Take that!

"...wait, but doesn't the Supernatural Study Group already exist?"

Of course it does. You should know, considering what happened earlier this week. "Don't be stupid, you saw just as well as I did that they're nothing but a bunch of occult weirdos. I want to make a club that actually looks for the paranormal instead of just sitting around worshipping it!"

Another pause while he thinks it over again. Not that I'm going to give him a choice in the matter.

"Well, alright. This isn't a bad idea I suppose."

I'm actually a little disappointed that he didn't put up more of a fight. Still, it makes things easier, so I can't complain.

Imitation-boy (coming up with new nicknames for him in my head has become something of a hobby of mine) quirks an eyebrow at me, smiling slightly. "You realize it isn't going to be easy to set up your own club, right?"

I hold back a snort. "Are you kidding? I bet it'll be incredibly easy! What would you know about it?"

"No more than you, I'd expect. But how exactly do you plan to find people aside from us who are interested in finding the paranormal?"

"Who cares, we can figure that out once we start recruiting! Besides, they don't all have to be interested, so long as they fit certain positions."

"...such as?"

"The mascot character, for one! We'll need one of those to attract more people to the club!"

"What? No, that doesn't make any-"

"Suzumiya-san, Kyon-san, both of you sit down RIGHT NOW or I will give you both detention for a _month_!"

...right. Still the middle of class. Damn it.

**KHJSKHJS**

_-Kyon-_

I don't understand this girl at all.

After the first few days of school, I started using a few more specific search methods in addition to the usual observation and exploration. Each day I did something different- on Thursday I checked everyone I saw for hidden fox traits indicating they may be shapeshifted kitsune, on Friday I watched people at lunch for any strange eating habits or foods; that sort of thing. I've continued with this sort of schedule throughout this past week as well, since it's too difficult to check for everything in the same day- much more manageable to divide them up like this. Thankfully, this seemed to break the streak of Suzumiya and I's identical searching times and habits. We still end up doing the same thing on occasion, like when we both ended up investigating the Supernatural Study Group simultaneously (and were eventually asked to leave after a "minor" altercation), but she's at least had to stop referring to me as her doppelganger all the time.

You'd think not being "copied" anymore would make her happy. But no, instead, she's been acting ultra confrontational whenever she sees me, as if deliberately trying to pick a fight. I'm not exactly sure what happened to the "I'm not interested in talking to ordinary people" ideology we share, at least on her end, because now she won't stop talking to me. Attempting to provoke me. Whatever, same difference.

I would be content to simply ignore her (at least for now- she's still the most interesting thing in this school thus far honestly), since she's so set on being a jerk for some reason. However, when I try that, she continues to bug me until I finally react, and I end up getting sucked in to some ridiculous debate/argument with her, which only ends once someone (usually the teacher if it's anyone but Okabe-sensei, who just acts like nothing's happening) interrupts us. Then the whole cycle repeats itself again the next day, sometimes more than once. By now she has made it quite clear that she does not like me.

Which is why I'm slightly confused that I'm apparently being dragged in to this.

At the ringing of the bell signifying the end of the school day, I'm about to sprint out the door as per usual when my tie is once again unexpectedly grabbed. The person attached to the hand holding said tie runs out the door at mach 5, and I'm forced to follow its trajectory as best I can, lest I be choked. How is this girl so _fast_?! I'm not exactly slow, but if she keeps this up I might pass out from overexertion or lack of air, and not just because she's cutting off my usual supply!

Suzumiya leads me to the staircase that goes to the roof, which appears to be being used as the Art Club's all purpose dumping ground. When we reach the door near the top, she finally lets go and allows me to breathe normally. My hands go to my knees as I greedily inhale, appreciating the ability to do so once again.

Before I can even gather the breath required to ask her what the hell she thinks she's doing, my collar is grabbed as she forces me to my full height and looks up to stare me directly in the eyes, a manic glint flashing in her own.

This can't be good.

"You aren't leaving yet! You're helping me make this club, today!"

Oh, right. That. It had sounded like a decent idea right up until she said we needed a "mascot character", which strikes me as something I would have put on the bottom of my priorities were I recruiting people for such a club. Admittedly, I haven't heard the entirety of her thoughts about it yet, but the fact that she brought up that of all things first tells me I probably don't want to get involved the way I initially thought I did.

"Somehow I doubt we have the same sort of concept in mind." I state as I once again pry her fingers off my clothing. "You can go right ahead, but I don't particularly want to help with this club unless-"

"I don't care, you're _helping_, period. Got it?" she interrupts, looking extremely sure of that statement.

I see. And exactly what power do you have over me that you think you'll be able to make me do anything?

There's not even a hint of hesitation in Suzumiya's response as she puts her hands on her hips and grins. "Sheer force of will!"

...Well, credit to her in that she's certainly not the kind to back down, no matter how seemingly little she has to back her up. Persistence is indeed a powerful force (or in this case, an annoying one), and it's not as if I have anything pressing to do at home... maybe if I help her with this she'll be too occupied to argue with me anymore. Or I suppose I could even try to work this in to something legitimately useful.

I put on a thoughtful expression and cross my arms. "Alright, fine, I'll help... but only on a couple of conditions."

"You have _conditions_?" she yells, the sound reverberating slightly even in such a cluttered area. "Just what makes you think you have any say in this?"

"The fact that you're demanding my help in the first place, because if you thought you could do this on your own I doubt you'd have hauled me all the way over here."

...Oh, wipe that look off your face. You can't possibly expect me to just go along with everything you say.

Suzumiya recovers quickly. "Look, all you need to do is find out whatever paperwork the school needs to make a club and fill it out once you have it. I'm going to go find a room and scout for possible members, okay?"

With that, she attempts to run down the stairs to do just that, but this time I'm the one to grab her collar (from the back), and her downward momentum is arrested, allowing me to pull her back to the small platform we're standing on.

Before she can turn around and try to retaliate, I start in. "Actually no, not okay. You're not running off before I've named my conditions, especially since the real reason you dragged me along is starting to become clear. I don't think you want actual help, you just want to use me as a subordinate so I can do all the dirty work for you, and so you can order me around for however long this takes. That about right?"

I don't bother waiting for the no-doubt loud incoming response. "Well, the first of my conditions is that we both are equally involved in every single part of this process. If I'm going to go find out what paperwork the school needs, you're at least helping me fill it out. When it IS filled out, you let me approve everything you're planning on telling the school this club is going to do, and I'll give you the same option for anything I think we should add in. Before we go looking for new members, we need to agree on what this club is even going to specifically DO, and we can both look for a room we can use. Sound fair?"

I shouldn't have even bothered asking. After being physically forced to stick around, Suzumiya is in no mood to agree with anything I'm saying, reasonable or not.

"NO!" she hollers, far too close to my face for such volume to be necessary. "And don't ever, EVER grab my collar again, or I swear I'll make you regret it!"

Because you paid me the same courtesy, right?

"Anyways, why do you even care who I choose as club members?! Who says you were even going to be part of my club?!"

"YOU did, unless 'make a club with me' doesn't also imply an open invitation. And in that case, the second condition is that if I'm helping with this, I'd better at least have the option of choosing whether I want to join or not, because otherwise I'm leaving right now." I respond, a slight bit of ire creeping in to my voice. Honestly, she thinks she can just throw all the work at me and not even let me enjoy the eventual benefits? Who would agree to that?

The conflict in Suzumiya's expression is as clear as an open book. She doesn't want to give me an inch, but she also doesn't want to have to do all the work by herself. When she sees me watching her, waiting for a response, she scowls and looks down, crossing her arms beneath her chest.

"...fine. You can join if you want." she eventually concedes after a long silence. Her head snaps up from its temporarily lowered position to meet my eyes again. "But this is my idea, and my club! Even if you join, I'm still the leader, got it?!"

"I expected nothing less. However, my final condition is that if I do join your club, I have some say on what we do, even if you are the leader. Sound alright?"

There. That should give me more or less enough influence to moderate this thing.

Suzumiya looks torn again, but after about 20 seconds of thought she speaks up again. "Fine. Now are we getting started or what?" she asks tersely, looking impatient.

"Sure. Now that that's settled, why don't I go find out what paperwork we need." I calmly reply. "You can go start looking for a room, and we'll meet back up around our usual classroom in say, 30 minutes. Work for you?"

She gives me a halfhearted glare, but nods assent before sprinting down the stairs. I follow at a less breakneck speed, because as much as I hate to waste time I'd rather not live up to the term by actually tripping on the staircase. By the time I reach where we entered, she's nowhere in sight, so I stroll off towards the main office on my own.

When I pictured what would happen when my life finally got interesting, this wasn't exactly it. Still, this sure _seems_ like the start to a plot from a book or show- two people searching for the extraordinary, who happen to bump in to one another and constantly get in arguments... hopefully the part about them actually being successful comes next. Even if Suzumiya is a part of this, I'm pretty happy about current events.

That said, if I'm using the fiction metaphor, this better not be a love story or high school drama. I mean, it's fine if that's part of it (though if it's the former, preferably not with Suzumiya), but if _I_ of all people don't get sci-fi or supernatural as my story's main genre... well, let's just say I will not be pleased.

* * *

Why yes, the club _is_ getting created earlier than it did in canon, mainly as a result of Haruhi getting fed up earlier than before because she wants to find something before Kyon does. Funny how timelines tend towards certain fixed points whether the variables are the same or not, isn't it?

I guess I lied by saying more characters this chapter, that's now next chapter (promise, already started writing it), sorry. And apparently the school has at least _four floors_? Until I went and looked at pictures, I'd forgotten just how HUGE the school is... on that topic, Kyon himself forgot something rather important. More on that next time.

So, you may notice that this Kyon started his more specified searching methods earlier than Haruhi did- he's more low key about it (Haruhi's the one who stuck paper tags all over her middle school after all, not him), but he also does it much more frequently. They've got the same end goal in mind, and similar ways of going about getting there, but not identical. Just to be clear.

The more antagonistic nature of Haruhi and Kyon's relationship here means Kyon had to actually sort-of barter his way in to the club. Not that he really has any clue what he's getting in to, but he at least wants the option. Also, if it seems like Haruhi yells an awful lot, that's mainly because all the important interactions thus far have been between our two heroes, and thusly all rather heated. Hopefully that explains what all the exclamations and interrobangs are about.

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"- the guy who wanted me to get reviews by making you feel guilty for not dropping one. Probably.


	5. Gather Round,,, I Said GATHER ROUND,,,

It only takes me about five minutes to obtain the required paperwork, which I briefly skim through before deciding to go over it in full once I rendezvous with Suzumiya. Until then, I've got plenty of time to go looking for a room in the event that she can't find one.

As I stroll down the hall, poking my head in to various rooms and mentally marking down ones we might be able to use, my mind wanders to my now-short-haired classmate once again. It's been doing that a lot, lately- what do I even know about this girl anyways?

Well for starters, it's pretty clear by now that she's at least not mocking me. According to a couple of my classmates, she's been doing this since early middle school. If anything, she's more dedicated to searching than I am, though she does it in a rather clumsy way. That said, aside from my little speech on the first day, she's far more direct than me- and who knows, that might get her results.

She's also still the most interesting person I've met from this school thus far... the only one, really. Unfortunately I still haven't found a good way to ask my questions, or even do any surreptitious observation concerning the possibility that she is a genderbent clone or alternate dimension version of me. I can only learn so much by seeing her in class, especially since watching her unobtrusively is really, really difficult when my seat is directly in front of hers. If she hadn't rejected my attempt at making amends with her then this wouldn't be a problem, but seeing as how that didn't go all that well, I'm stuck tiptoeing around the issue until I can find a way to ask her so that she'll answer me honestly- or at all, since she might just choose to ignore me. There's got to be a way to approach her that she won't immediately snap to confrontation mode at the sight of me, but hell if I know what it is.

I ignore the cry of "Hey, it's that alien obsessed weirdo!" that issues upon my opening of the next door, quickly moving on and returning to my train of thought.

Funnily, while Suzumiya may say I'm uninteresting to the point of being "soul crushingly boring" (my personal favorite of her designations for me), I'm starting to think that's an act, since I have no idea why she'd always be talking to me otherwise. It could be she's trying to observe me to see if I'm an esper or something, the way she claimed on the first day, but constantly trying to rile me doesn't strike me as the best way to do that. Then again, I haven't been able to figure out what she's even _doing_ half the time, despite the fact that we've essentially got the same goal, so maybe I'm just never going to understand.

At some point I seem to have ended up crossing over to the old building, which I recognize due to having searched it for anything interesting earlier this week. Its rooms are too small for any large clubs, but they might still work for our purposes since I doubt we're going to be all that popular. I make my way up some stairs to continue the search, still thinking- this idea to make a club isn't a bad idea, at least conceptually. It's not as if we're exactly being subtle about our endeavors anyways. That got me nowhere in junior high after all, so the more people involved, the better our chances at finding some evidence, or catching someone's act slipping up. The problem lies more in what Suzumiya seems to think it should be. If I end up being part of this, I'm going to have to temper that.

Peeking my head through the door of the nearest room on the left, I'm startled when I realize after a few moments that someone is actually in here, though my eyes missed her at first because she's sitting as still as a marble statue- possibly even more so.

She looks up from her book before I can poke my head back out of the room without being seen myself. Expectant, glass covered eyes seem to compel me to enter, so I do so, sheepishly rubbing the back of my head. I'm not shy by any means, but interrupting someone who was being so quiet seems both awkward and rude. I'd better apologize.

"Er, hello."

The girl stares at me, unblinking.

"..."

"Sorry for intruding, I didn't notice you there at first."

"..."

...not much of a talker I take it. I'll keep trying.

"Is there anyone else here?"

"..."

...Such _scintillating_ conversation this girl provides. Come on, say something, anything, please? What kind of question can she not ignore no matter who's asking?

"Uh... I'm Kyon. What's your name?"

There's a pause of several seconds before the girl finally speaks.

"...Nagato Yuki."

Oh good, I was starting to worry she was mute- truth be told I didn't expect her to answer. Since she does talk, I just need to know if this room is occupied every day after school or not; then I can resume room hunting.

"Is this a club?"

I'm almost certain that it is, since that's pretty much the only reason anyone would be in this part of the school. Plus she wouldn't be allowed to be here after school already ended if she had no reason to remain, at least not for very long- although if she's always like this I can see why the faculty might have missed her.

"..."

Reverting to silent mode, she eventually responds with a nod, so small it's almost imperceptible. This is becoming increasingly uncomfortable, did I offend her in some way? Or is she just really shy?

"Which one?"

Silence.

Somehow I don't think she's going to tell me. I guess I don't _really _need to know, but I'm kind of curious now... I suppose I could just keep asking until she gets annoyed and answers, but that's not exactly my style. Instead, I think I'll take the opportunity to put my observation skills to the test...

My eyes sweep over the room. Hmm... small, cozy, relatively isolated since it only has one neighboring room- probably not exactly a loud or crowded club. There aren't many amenities in here, so either the previous members took everything with them, or it's a new club, which hasn't been fully set up yet. She's the only one here, so I doubt it's the latter or there would be more people. All that, plus the shelves on the wall, and the fact that she's reading a book...

I make a leap of faith and hope I'm right.

"Is this the Literature Club?"

A nod.

Hah! Correct! A miniature me does a cool looking celebratory dance in my head. Not that it was any real feat of observational logic to guess that, but even small victories are victories.

"Alright then. Again, sorry about barging in, I'll leave you to your book." I say, reaching for the doorknob. We obviously can't set up shop in a room that already houses a club. There's no point in sticking around here now that that's confirmed.

"...stay."

What? Hold on.

I turn back around. The book is still resting in Nagato-san's lap, and her cool gaze is piercing straight in to my own. Now that I'm looking directly back at her, I can't help but notice that her black eyes seem to have no bottom to them- this is becoming _far_ more unnerving than my stare offs with Suzumiya.

After several tense seconds spent waiting for her to continue her request with an explanation, I realize she's not planning on doing so and decide to prompt her.

"Stay? Nagato-san, why-"

Before I can finish my sentence, the door crashes open behind me.

**KHJSKHJS**

-_Haruhi_-

Just who does that guy think he is?!

Thoughts of various possible methods of revenge swirl through my mind as I stomp through the hallways. There's no way I can concentrate on trying to find a clubroom while I'm in this kind of mood.

Only _he_ could take something that was going to be so much fun, not to mention a huge help to me, and turn it in to a chore. It should have been so _simple_- since I'm not finding anything working by myself, I just need to have more people, all under my command of course, helping me look. I get a few interesting students/characters to join, and BAM, club. Then, since I'll be their leader, I can order them to help me search, which would increase our chances of finding something by a _ton_! We could even open a sort of investigative agency for anyone experiencing supernatural phenomena to come to, so we'd never miss anything! I should feel excited beyond belief right now! But I'm not, because he had to go and be all snooty about what _he_ gets out of this when I only needed him for grunt work! How could I have been so _stupid_ as to involve him?!

Well, just because he said I had to fully explain what the club would do on paper before I could go looking for members doesn't mean I'm going to _listen_ to him. Yeah, that's right! I'm the leader! It was my idea! My word overrules his by a factor of millions!

That in mind, my mood begins to lift. A sneaky grin crosses my face as I start to make my way upstairs. Before I can pick up much speed, however, some guy walking in the opposite direction with light brown hair and a strange, strained looking smile tries to intercept me in the hallway.

"Ah, hello miss, would you happen to be Suzumiya Har-"

I rush past him without bothering to let him finish. I've got no time to waste talking to yet another boring person!

My legs carry me up to where I want to go in a matter of seconds- hopefully that girl I spotted earlier this week hasn't left school yet.

As luck would have it, as soon as I turn the next corner I spy her talking to a girl with long green hair in the hallway. Hah! There she is! Not even hard to find! She must be in some other club if she's still here- which she'll need to quit I think.

"Hey, you two!"

Both girls look up at the sound of my voice, and I skid to a halt directly in front of them.

"Hiya, I'm Haruhi!" I exclaim, deciding to be courteous and introduce myself before doing anything else.

"Well, megas-pleased to meetcha' Haru-nyan!" responds green hair immediately, with as much enthusiasm as I've ever heard from anyone. I already like this girl. "My name's Tsuruya, and this is Mikuru-chan!" The now-dubbed Tsuruya smiles widely and pats her orange haired friend on the back, who looks startled at the sudden contact.

That was nice and quick; I appreciate that she didn't question why I ran up to introduce myself to them. Now that that's out of the way, I can get straight to the point.

"Cool! Hey, Tsuruya-san, mind if I borrow Mikuru-chan here for a while? I wanna introduce her to someone." I bluntly ask as I latch on to the arm of the orange haired girl, who squeaks (actually _squeaks_) in semi-protest.

Tsuruya laughs like we're already close pals. "Oh? Someone who?"

"One of my... friends." Yeah, let's go with that. "I'd like us all to be friends, actually!" I continue, surprising myself.

Wow, that sounded REALLY corny, but I think I honestly do want to be friends with this girl. Whether she's normal or not, she's practically bleeding joy in to her surroundings, and it's incredibly infectious. I find myself genuinely, enthusiastically smiling back at her, the recent stumbling block that came in the form of Average-guy's demands not seeming like such a huge problem anymore.

"In that case, not at all! Mikuru-chan could use some more friends, nyoron! And just call me Tsuruya!" the excitable girl replies with a huge grin. Woah, is that a fang? Could she be... I'll look in to it later when I'm not already busy.

"I better go then! Have a megas-awesome time Mikuru-chan! You know where to find me when you're done with Haru-nyan! Introduce me to your new friends later, nyoro-kay?" Tsuruya happily hollers behind her as she bounds down the hallway.

And so, in the span of less than a minute, the two of us are left standing in an empty hall. The girl whose arm I've got in locked in my grip looks completely stunned by the sudden turn of events.

"W-wait, I..." she belatedly begins, trailing off as she realizes her friend has already vanished from sight. It's a little late to be protesting _now_.

Well, whatever the case, that went well. Onwards and upwards!

"Come on!" I tell the blob of moe locked in my grip as I start running, now in a much better mood for room-searching. Said blob unfortunately isn't very good at keeping up, stumbling over her own feet as I pull her behind me.

I rush through the hallways, throwing open doors and closing them just as fast when I find them unsuitable. The entire time, the girl I now know as Mikuru is trying to say something, but keeps false starting as if unsure what that might be. Around the fourth or fifth door she finally manages to get a sentence out.

"P-please, wait a moment! What are you-"

I'll fill her in later. "Just follow me, we still need a room!"

"B-but I thought-"

Wow, she even stutters. She is SO perfect for the role of innocent mascot/sexy paranormal attractor. The level of "cute" exuding from this girl is practically criminal; I'm... kind of jealous actually. How does one GET breasts that huge paired with a body that small? God can be so unfair. At least now I won't have to play that part and can still go through with that idea from last week.

**KHJSKHJS**

Several minutes and a move to the next building over later, Mikuru is still weakly protesting, completely ineffectually as I'm not truly listening. I seem to be encountering an awful lot of other clubs around here, so this probably isn't the place to look for unmanned classrooms. But hey, just like searching for the bizarre, you can't be too thorough, so I'm still checking every single one of them.

Upon my throwing open of the door at the end of the hall, I'm greeted with the unexpected sight of Average-guy's back. For a moment, I'm startled, but that quickly gives way to aggravation. Why the hell is he in here? He was supposed to be getting the paperwork!

"Hey!"

He turns around, surprise evident on his face.

"What are you doing in he-" I trail off as I spy the girl wearing large circular glasses, who's sitting on a chair at the back of the room.

I swear, if he gave me that "we both must share the work" speech and then went off to some sort of clandestine meeting I am going to _rip him a new one_.

"Who's this?" I ask with only the slightest tinge of anger evident in my voice.

"Wha?" my doppelganger intelligently responds. It takes him a moment to regain his wits before he looks at me and seems to understand what I'm thinking.

"Uh, this is Nagato Yuki. She's part of the Literature Club, and she's very... quiet."

He looks completely befuddled and slightly unnerved, which I'll take to mean he's being honest. The girl doesn't really strike me as the type to go for guys like him anyways.

"Whatever, at least I found you before you started goofing off. Do you have the paperwork? If you don't, it's the death penalty for you!"

In response, his manner returns to normal, and he gives me a flat look before lifting his left arm to wave the papers gripped in his hand at me. Oh.

"Uh huh. 'Death penalty', did you say? What exactly does that entail, pray tell?" he deadpans. His eyes shift to Mikuru, who seems to have gone limp in my grasp. "And who is this?"

Ignoring the first part of his question, which I don't yet have an answer for, I take the out he gave me. "This is Mikuru-chan! Mikuru, say hi!"

"U-um-"

"I thought we agreed we weren't recruiting members until we figured out the club's exact purpose. What part of that didn't get through?" Average-guy gripes accusingly.

"Hey, y_ou_ agreed to that, not me."

"C-could you two-"

"What? No, we both agreed on the conditions!"

"Hah! That's where you're wrong! If you remember correctly, I didn't actually revoke my answer of no for that first part! There was no agreement!"

"Please, if you would-"

"You are _unbelievable_! Is she even interested in this?!"

"My club needs a mascot and you know it, 'Kyon'!"

"_This_ is what you meant? And _why_? You haven't yet actually given me a legitimate reason for us to have a 'mascot', so please, explain, because I'm not getting-"

"Excuse me."

Those two words slide over us like ice, stopping our argument in its tracks. Our gazes shift as one to the diminutive girl at the back of the room, who is still seated where she was when I entered and is now staring at us expressionlessly.

"She would like to speak." the girl apparently known as Nagato Yuki states, pointing towards Mikuru.

Finally granted a chance to talk without us interrupting, the trembling leaf of a girl looks to us and stammers out some questions.

"C-could someone tell me what's going on...? Who are you people, w-why did you bring me-"

While she's busy trying to figure out if she just got kidnapped by the Japanese branch of the Illuminati or something, I let go of her and move over to entrance, engaging the lock. At the sound of the catch, Mikuru whirls on me, panic written on her face.

"W-why are you locking the door?!" she cries, looking absolutely terrified.

Well, mostly because I'm tired of holding your arm, and this way I don't have to and you still can't run off. Plus it seems to have the benefit of making you switch to "scared AND teary" mode, so the second you turn around and Average-guy sees your face he's not going to want to let you leave, and you'll HAVE to be part of my club! It's a foolproof plan!

"I... I don't understand..." the orange haired upperclassman whimpers, shrinking in on herself.

The implication of her original questions finally seems to make its way through to Average-guy's brain as a look of disbelief suddenly rises on his face. "Wait a second, did you KIDNAP her?" Average-guy asks with a clear note of incredulity in his voice.

"Nope! Everyone that was there agreed that Mikuru should come here with me!" I assert, defending myself. Technically true, in that everyone who spoke did.

"You mean except the person you dragged along with you?!" he growls back.

"She didn't say anything against it, so she agreed by omission!"

Instead of replying, he scoffs and turns to Mikuru, the hostility dropping from his posture and expression as he attempts to console a girl on the verge of tears.

"Are you alright, miss...?"

Idiot, I already told him her na-

"A-asahina. My full name is Asahina Mikuru." she says, wiping her eyes with her sleeve and giving a little sniffle.

Oh, he meant her full name. Eh, I'll stick with just Mikuru.

"Yes, I-I'm fine, but could someone please explain why I'm here...?" she pleads, giving him the most perfect pair of teary puppy dog eyes I've ever seen. This is it, come on, work...

Yes, there it is! The hint of hesitation in his eyes, the trace stiffening in his posture, the thought that maybe having Mikuru around all the time might not be so bad... he's already fallen for the idea of seeing her every day, hook line and sinker. It's just as I suspected. Guys are kind of stupid that way- no, not kind of, REALLY stupid that way.

"I'll... try." Average-guy replies after several seconds of most likely subtly examining (read: perving on) her. "My name is Kyon, Asahina-san. The slightly unstable girl behind you-"

"Hey!"

"-is Suzumiya Haruhi. You may or may not have already heard about us, but before anything let me say I'm sorry that she dragged you along without explaining anything. We won't force you to stay if you don't want too."

Maybe YOU won't. Still, "we won't force you to stay" rather than "you can go" indicates that he's open to the possibility now. This will be a lot easier if he just cooperates with me.

"As for why she abducted you, we're attempting to start a club that searches for mysterious phenomena- aliens, time travelers, espers, sliders, that sort of thing. Suzumiya here seems to have decided that you'd make a great member, or at least be a worthy addition to the club. I suppose I may as well formally extend the invitation- would you like to join?" he asks in a far more formal tone than he'd been using up until now.

I'm getting tired of this. I found her, I grabbed her, and I brought her with me, so she's already in the club. All that's left is for her to accept it, we don't need to ASK.

"Oh... okay." Mikuru whispers, sounding relieved. "I guess I can join-"

"No, please, think about it first."

What the- is he really STILL trying to give her a way to opt out? She was just about to say yes!

He keeps going, oblivious to my stormy expression. "You don't have to bow to Suzumiya's every whim; you don't even know her. Are you in any other clubs?"

"Oh, um, yes. I'm in the Calligraphy Club... we weren't meeting today, but I stayed to talk with..." Mikuru trails off.

"Why don't you give our idea some serious consideration, and if you decide not to join then there won't be any conflict with it anyways. If you do, we can work out the details then." 'Kyon' says.

"O... okay... thank you..."

Our new moe character looks much more relaxed now, which I suppose is good... or it would be, if it weren't because she thinks she can just up and leave whenever she wants now. But the door is still locked, and I'm still in front of it, so technically she can't actually do that I suppose. I've got nothing to worry about.

Mikuru pulls out a chair and enters what I assume is her version of a "thinking pose", which doesn't really look right on her. Average-guy sure was pouring on what little charm he has while talking just now, guess he REALLY wants to impress her. What a schmuck. At least he's not trying to rescue/defend her from me anymore, and she's done being all weepy. It's really not up to him or her anyways, so I'll let the subject drop for now.

Speaking of being done, I'm sick of being quiet. While our new club mascot is busy pointlessly thinking over something that's already been decided, I tap Imitation-boy on the shoulder, forgoing whirling him around by force this time. "Hey, you never answered me. Why are you in here anyways?"

Now that his attention's been taken off the subject of Mikuru, he seems much calmer. "Er, no reason really. I was searching for a room to use for our-" MY "-club, and found out from her that this one is already occupied by the Literature Club." he replies, gesturing to Yuki. "I was about to leave, except for some reason she asked me not to, and I was in the middle of asking why when you barged in. You know the rest from there."

That doesn't make much sense. I give the lavender haired girl, who has returned to her book by now, a quick once over. Why would she want _this_ guy to stick around? For that matter, I'm pretty sure that when I checked out all the clubs, I found out the Literature Club was disbanded because all the students in it graduated. Is she a new member who didn't get the memo? Maybe she wanted to see if Average-guy was interested in joining the Literature Club so she wouldn't be alone in here- better to have bad company than no company I suppose.

Come to think of it, this room is pretty barren now that I look at it. There's barely anything in here... I think in my rush, we ended up in the old building, so it's definitely not being used as a classroom. Which also means it's customizable...

Hmm... idea!

"Hey, can we use this room as the headquarters for our club?" I bluntly ask the chairbound girl.

Average-guy of course decides to butt in when he's not needed. "Suzumiya, this is the Literature Clubroom, you can't just-"

"It is fine."

Clearly my far-more-normal counterpart wasn't expecting that, if his dumbfounded expression is anything to go by. I'm happy though.

"Perfect! Thanks Yuki-san!" Finally, everything is falling in to place!

Average-guy manages to recover his composure enough to try and sabotage my recent acquisition, probably because he is evil in its purest form.

"Nagato-san, while it's nice of you to offer us your room, we can't just steal it from the Literature Club, even with your permission. I'm sure the other members won't allow-"

"I am the only current member."

Once again, Average-guy is at a loss for words.

"You tell him Yuki-chan!" I praise, feeling pretty awesome about how this is going. Maybe we should invite her to be a member too, if she can so effortlessly shut down my evil sort-of double.

Following up on that, I round on said stunned double, somewhat irritated even though literature-girl stopped him without me having to lift a finger. "And you, cut it out! First you try to get rid of Mikuru, and now the room I just got! Are you just doing this to annoy me? Well, as supreme leader of this club, I declare that we will be setting up right here, in this room! That's final!"

In response, he shakes his head, groans, and holds up a finger. "First of all, the club doesn't exist yet, so your so called authority is nil. We have two members, assuming I join, possibly three in the event that Asahina-san decides to do so, and a room we just commandeered from an entirely separate club. Second, we don't even have that, because willingly or not, it isn't really Nagato-san's decision to make I don't think. We'd have to ask whoever's in charge of school activities. Third, you-"

Unexpectedly, there's a knock at the door behind me, completely breaking the flow of words issuing from Average-guy's mouth for the third time in as many minutes. The universe is clearly siding with me today.

Since the door doesn't have a window, I'm forced to unlock it and open it halfway to see who it is. To my surprise, standing in the hallway is the same brown-haired guy I pushed past in the hallway earlier. As I open the door, an obviously forced, but still beatific smile spreads across his face.

"Hello. Am I interrupting something?"

* * *

Finally, more characters- in fact, most of the characters really! Not quite sure I wrote Tsuruya correctly, but since I haven't read through Book 10-11 yet I'm scared to read her wiki page for fear of spoilers in the event that she's involved. Side note, I had some trouble with this chapter, hopefully I'll get back on track with the next one.

Haruhi isn't too concerned about honorifics unless she's first meeting someone- you'll notice we went from san to chan with Yuki in all of two sentences. After introductions, anything goes depending on how much Haruhi likes someone. She also thinks of people without honorifics entirely, unlike Kyon, who uses them even in his head. Yeah, Haruhi's not the politest of people, but I'd bet it helps people (those few she talks too) get comfortable with her more quickly. As for Kyon's actions and choices... I'll "cover" that next chapter.

My confusion over the location of the club (that being in the old building) has been cleared up. Thank you Sylvia Volk!

Arguments should stop next chapter or so. Not that everyone is going to be boarding the happy train or anything, but there hopefully won't be as much contention between the you-know-two. Just a reassurance.

These author's notes just keep getting larger and larger. The review number does too, but at a pathetically slow pace. You gonna help it grow big and strong, or leave it a wimp that'll fall to any old number it comes across? The choice should be clear.

No, not that choice. The other one.


	6. Empathy In More Than One Way

_-Kyon-_

"Hello. Am I interrupting something?"

"Yes."

I wince as Suzumiya swiftly closes the door in the poor guy's face.

Harsh. Not that I wouldn't have done the same thing- he asked if he was interrupting, and he was. I'm sure he can wait.

"Now, where were we?" she turns back around and asks as if nothing just happened.

"I was explaining to you why we can't set up shop here, and you were ignoring me completely."

"Oh yeah! I'll just keep doing that then." she says with a smile.

It seems I'm not the only one in this room who's capable of sarcasm.

Groaning in frustration, I rub my temples again. I'm not changing her mind on this any time soon, am I?

"Fine, forget it, we'll sort it out later." I concede. "Since we're both here, help me fill this paperwork out."

"Nah, forget the paperwork."

If I'd been drinking something I'm sure a spit take would have been inevitable. "Seriously? You realize you were asking to make sure I had it all of five minutes ago, and that we need this if we're going to be an official club, right?"

"Then we can be an unofficial club!" she says, far happier at the moment than I am. "Neither of us wants to fill out forms, but we've got a room and some members, so we're basically a club already, aren't we?"

I admit, I had forgotten for a moment that I'm speaking to someone who likes to be contrary (at least towards me) seemingly just for the sake of _being contrary_. "Look, I only skimmed these forms, but I'm pretty sure we need at least five members and a teacher as a sponsor, as well a clubroom that actually belongs to us. In case you've forgotten, we need these to be officially recognized so we get credit for the extracurricular activities, Suzumiya."

Something about my statement must end up grating on her nerves, because her good mood starts reverting. "Well in case you forgot, that isn't why I'm making this to begin with! It's nothing more than a side benefit, which we can do without. Who _cares_ about the credit?"

"**I** do!" I retort, my temper quickly rising. "You may not think I care about my grades, but if I'm going to spend time on something then I want to at least get acknowledgement for it later on. It's important, whether I like it or not!"

"You IDIOT!" Suzumiya yells from all of three feet away from me. Annnnd with that we are now completely back to full-blown argument mode. "Once we find something supernatural, the stupid stuff like that won't matter anymore! I get why YOU might be concerned, but you've got me leading you now! We're sure to find something once we get this club fully started, and we're not doing this for the _scholastic achievement_, so stop worrying so much about how you won't be able to put it on your college resume, or whatever it is you're talking about!"

"I HAVE TO BE CONCERNED!" I roar back, quite fed up with this. "I'm just as dedicated to this as you are- you really think I would spend so much time searching if I cared for more typical life goals over it?! But unlike you, I know that I still have to be pragmatic! I still have to plan for the possibility that it might never happen, because it IS a possibility no matter how much I hate to think that! Have you NEVER thought about this?!"

"No, because it's GOING to happen, I'm GOING to find something, I **know** it!" she insists, stamping her foot like a petulant child.

"You DON'T! You-"

"Hold, hold!"

The guy who Suzumiya shut outside earlier steps between us, hands held up placatingly. Evidently he had indeed been waiting outside, but it seems _someone_ forgot to re-lock the door.

I quickly examine the new presence in the room, and it instantly strikes me that his appearance is almost too perfect. He looks like he could have stepped straight out of a commercial, or perhaps a male fashion magazine. The only thing marring his appearance are some rather dark bags under his eyes, but even those don't seem like they've been there all too long. Wonder if Suzumiya thinks _he's _average.

"Surely there's a way to resolve this more peacefully, wouldn't you agree?" he asks coolly, though with an oddly desperate note in his tone.

"Excuse me, how is this any of your business?" I grumble loudly, slightly calmer now that the fight's been interrupted. "Who even ARE you?"

"Ah, I haven't introduced myself." the handsome boy says sheepishly, his voice losing its previous weird, frantic quality as he bows to each of us in turn. "I'm Koizumi Itsuki, I just transferred-"

"We don't care. This isn't your argument, so take a hike!" Suzumiya snaps angrily, still simmering in much same manner that I am. Quite the charmer, she is- though I can't say I disagree.

The smile the new guy's been wearing since he walked in droops a little. "...I see. In that case, may I suggest you at least lower your voices? The level of noise issuing from here is going to draw negative attention if you aren't careful."

He's got a point. I'd rather other students and teachers stayed out of our business, but they're bound to poke their noses in if we make ourselves heard to the entire building- much like he's doing right now, actually. We wouldn't even be able to claim we can do what we want in our room, because as I've said multiple times, it's not ours.

I sigh internally. Why am I even doing this? The club doesn't even exist yet, and I reserved the right to back out once the club was made. According to Suzumiya, it has been, and she didn't want me as part of it anyways, so I could just walk away and let her do whatever the hell she wants now, couldn't I?

And yet, I can't bring myself to do that. Somehow, within the last hour or so, I went from being quite literally dragged in to this to really, truly wanting to make this club a reality. I want to be a part of this. How on Earth did I manage to get myself invested in this so quickly?

"...It's fine, we'll quiet down." I tell the picture-perfect boy, truly meaning it. His intervention taking my attention away from Suzumiya drained virtually all of my anger anyways- I'm just about yelled out for the day.

New guy doesn't seem to buy it. "If I may, this doesn't seem like a problem that you'll be able to come to a solution for on your own. Perhaps you could explain the situation, and I could assist you in resolving it?"

What is this guy, our self-proclaimed therapist?

"No really, it's fine, forget it." I reassure him before looking over his shoulder at Suzumiya. "Alright, I give in. We'll try it your way."

She looks surprised for all of two seconds before giving me that loathsome grin of superiority I glimpsed earlier today.

"Good! I take it you've seen the light then?"

"More like I doubt any teacher would sponsor this anyways, so why bother?" I tack on almost as an afterthought.

Her grin doesn't lessen in the slightest. "Ohhhhhhh no, you're not tricking me with that pathetic attempt at reverse psychology!" she proudly exclaims, clearly thinking she's got me all figured out. She places her hands on her hips as I slump down in a nearby seat. "You'll have to do better than trying to appeal to my pride! That's way too old a trick to work on me!"

Truthfully, that wasn't intended to be reverse psychology so much as brutal honesty, but I'll let her think what she wants.

I started losing steam once the other guy cut in, but I'm starting to think I would have lost this one in the end regardless of that. If I'm being honest with myself, then for the most part... well, Suzumiya is more in the right than I am. We certainly weren't planning on creating this for the credit, or I would have left after she dragged me up the stairs no matter what she said, because people who live their lives around pleasing the school system have no place in my own. I probably won't really get in trouble for spending time on something less than academic either; my parents have always sort of let me do my own thing. So really, it's not like I'm risking anything besides time if this club isn't officially recognized, and eventually, something definitely should happen, just like Suzumiya said. I just... wanted to be prepared, still leave some options open, just in case...

But wait, didn't I just think...?

Damn it. I'm such a hypocrite.

"Um, excuse me..."

I turn to source of the timid, childlike voice- I had almost forgotten that Asahina-san was in here. She's standing right beside my seat all of a sudden and I didn't even notice.

"I've decided to join... t-that is, if that's alright with you..."

My eyebrows raise. Of course it's alright with me. Better than alright even; I admit I was skeptical about having her around before, but if she's actually genuinely interested, and still is even after THAT little show, she definitely belongs in this club.

And obviously it doesn't hurt that she's really, really cute. I've got other things on my mind at the moment though.

"Of course, Asahina-san. I'm not in charge, but seeing as how Suzumiya brought you here herself, I doubt she has a problem with it..." I weakly respond. I can't believe I got that incensed about something so inconsequential.

"Is the argument concluded?"

I jump in my seat- I had forgotten that Nagato-san was in here. In fact, I'm amazed she didn't protest about how loud we got.

"Yeah, we're done." I sigh out. At least I'm done. My energy is pretty much gone, I can't argue the point any more, nor am I certain any longer that I even still should. Suzumiya wins for today.

Speaking of the ever-energetic one, she's staring at me with a strangely pained expression. I stare back once I notice, probably looking simultaneously dispirited and resigned.

...What? Are you building up to some stupid joke about how even looking at me is painful? If so, I'm _really_ not in the mood after all that, please hold it in until later.

"Hey, could everyone leave the room for a minute? I wanna talk to this guy alone."

Oh NOW what does she want...?

I almost point out to her that as this is still technically the Literature Club, she doesn't have the right to even temporarily banish Nagato-san, but since the girl in question closes her book, gets up, and walks out in to the hall before I can even form a sentence, I think better of it and don't bother. Asahina-san ducks outside shortly after, sending a worried look behind her.

Not that I really want to be alone with Suzumiya, but doesn't that still leave...

I look over to my left. The other guy- Koizumi, did he say?- is still here. Why, I'm not sure. I'm not even sure why he's here to begin with.

"Seriously, would you go away now?" Suzumiya snaps at him impatiently.

A trickle of sweat drips down the side of his face for some reason. "Are you certain you two will be al-"

"GET OUT!" she yells as she physically heralds him out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

It's just her and me now. The room is quiet and my mood is, for lack of a better term, melancholic. It wasn't unreasonable of me to want the club to be an official one, but I'm now realizing that by arguing for it, the only thing I was supporting was the goal of a normal life, which I don't even want to consider a possibility, let alone something important. So how exactly am I supposed to apologize?

I must look pretty pathetic right now, because after a few moments of silence Suzumiya lets loose a sigh so pained you'd almost think she was being tortured. Then she sits down in the seat directly across from me and crosses her arms, saying nothing and simply staring at the center of the table.

It takes a few more more seconds of silence before she speaks. "About what you said earlier..."

Her next words are spoken in the faintest of whispers- I only hear anything due to the silence of the room and our own close proximity.

"...I have thought about that before..."

**KHJSKHJS**

_-Haruhi-_

_...what am I doing..._

Seriously, why am I doing this? The idiot conceded! I have my way already, there's no reason to continue talking with him!

But... but it's like looking at _myself_! And I _hate_ seeing myself when I'm in this sort of mood! How am I supposed to revel in the victory when he goes and starts looking like THAT immediately after?!

"You... have?" my doppelganger, currently doing a far too good impression of me when I'm down, doubtfully asks.

"Yes, OBVIOUSLY I've thought about that before! But why would I ever admit-!"

I quickly clench my mouth shut before I can say any more. Damn it, why am I telling him this?!

This is the strangest combination of empathy and anger that I've ever experienced.

Before I can figure out what next to say, a look of realization crosses his face.

"You think admitting the possibility of failure will be the same as giving up, don't you?"

...

...he... he really does...

...

"...Don't you dare repeat any of what I'm about to say to anyone, or I really will give you the death penalty, got it?" I tell him after a quiet minute of inner debate.

I mean it. I'm not sure what it is yet, but it will be harsh, swift, and painful.

"Got it." he replies solemnly.

Despite my mind screaming how stupid it is, I go ahead anyways.

"Back when I was in sixth grade, my family took me to a baseball game. I wasn't even excited or anything, I don't like baseball all that much... but when I got there, I was shocked to see just how many people there were. They were everywhere; it was impossible to look in any direction and not see anyone. The people on the other end of the stadium were small... smaller than a grain of rice..."

_But I felt even smaller_.

"At first I thought that everyone in Japan must have shown up for that game- but when I asked my dad how many people were at the stadium, he told me that since it was full that day, maybe somewhere around fifty thousand?

Fifty thousand... That number was all I could think of the entire time the game was going on. Even when we were heading home, when the roads were packed with cars and people as far as the eye could see, I knew that they were only a miniscule fraction of everyone in the nation. I'd read in geography class that Japan has a population of a hundred million people, so when we got home, I got out my calculator to figure out what fraction of that fifty thousand is. Do you know what it was?"

"Somewhere around... one in two thousand?"

Wow. I hadn't expected him to know, easy math problem or not. "That's right. It stunned me even more than when I'd actually seen so many people right in front of me. I was a small, practically inconsequential part of those fifty thousand in the stadium, who were themselves only one two thousandth of the entire nation. And that's only in Japan- how did they compare to all the people in the entire world combined?"

_I had to force myself not to think about it..._

I clench my fists so hard that my nails almost break skin. I can't believe I'm reliving this for the sake of telling it to someone I don't even _like_.

"Up until then, I'd thought that I was special. That I had the most interesting friends imaginable. I was happy with my family, my class, my life... but after that game, I realized that there are so many people on this planet- how could my life possibly be unique? Everything I had done, so had someone else. Everything I was living, so was someone else. Everything I was, so was someone else. I was just like all the others..."

_There was nothing special about my life, and there never had been- I just knew it now was all._

"Everything lost its color. Things that I had thought were the happiest things in the world lost all value to me. I lived on autopilot, knowing that everything I did was all a part of an ordinary life. With so many people in the world, I was sure that there was someone who was living an extraordinary, exciting life. But all I could do was ask myself, time and time again, why wasn't that person me?

For the rest of the school year, it was constantly on my mind. When I entered junior high, I decided that I couldn't live like I had been anymore- that kind of life wasn't worth anything. So I did my best to change myself. I wanted- I had to let the world know that I wasn't the type of girl who was just going sit and hope for a miracle to happen. If the world wouldn't bring me excitement, I would go and find it myself. And I did my very best to do just that. But nothing I did ever made any difference. And now I'm in high school, still hoping that something will change...

...and so are you, aren't you?"

Staring the only other occupant of the room dead in the eyes, I grit my teeth and do my best to hold back the emotions that I know will lead to a break down if I let them out; a break down I _refuse_ to have here and now, especially in front of him.

"I can't bear the thought that this is all there is to life. You're... like me, so you should understand..."

I look down at the table to hide my eyes, not trusting them not to start watering.

_You understand how I feel... right?_

**KHJSKHJS**

_-Kyon-_

Now THIS is not something I would have ever expected to come from Suzumiya, even if I'd started thinking of possibilities back when the dinosaurs were still around. She's actually treating me on the same level as her, and she just opened up far more than anything that's happened today seems like it should have warranted. This is totally out of left field; was that all just because I guessed her thought process?

Confusion aside, she's right- I do understand. Her words are hitting far too close to home for comfort.

I heave a long, tired sigh. "Yeah, I understand... I know exactly how you feel..."

She nods silently. As I thought. She's refusing to admit that there is any possibility besides success, because she feels like thinking otherwise will lead to guaranteed failure. I actually deliberately try to slip in to that mentality whenever I can, because it's hard to motivate yourself if you think you might fail, and far easier to go on if you convince yourself there's nothing that can stop you, that there's a 100% probability that it WILL happen one day...

We really are similar, aren't we?

I sit back and wait, allowing her some time to collect herself. Nothing else needs to be said, and I know she wouldn't want me to say more than that anyways- even if we don't really like each other, I think we might understand each other in this regard better than friends who've known each other their entire lives do.

After a few noiseless minutes, she stands up and places her hands on the desk.

"I know I'm not special." she says quietly before raising her head back up to look at me. "But just because I'm not, doesn't mean I can't find something that _is_. If I can't be extraordinary myself, I can at least seek out those who are, and stay around them. I WILL find them, no matter how long it takes. THAT is why I want to make this club, and THAT is what we are going to do." she states more forcefully, the conviction slowly coming back to her voice as she talks.

My thought process is jolted by that. Lines of thinking that specific that we both share is why I keep reminding myself to ask her questions about the whole clone/slider/whatever else possibility... but now is not the time. Though it's definitely still one of several reasons to try to get on better terms with her. Now IS the time for something else though.

"Suzumiya-san... I suppose I owe you an apology. It was wrong of me to argue with you about something that I suppose, in the end, isn't really that big of a deal."

She looks surprised both by my use of the honorific and by the fact that I admitted I was wrong.

"It's... fine. I guess... I _guess_ I shouldn't have totally brushed you off either..."

I get the feeling she's not one who apologizes often, so that's probably the closest I'm going to get to one. Although, since I didn't think she'd apologize at all, I'll take what I can get for now. Baby steps.

Suzumiya looks over towards the door, then back to me, attempting a stern glare which doesn't quite have the usual force in it. "Remember, if you say anything about what happened just now to _anyone_, I _will_ find out and I _will_ make you pay."

I wave her off. "Sure, sure..." Like I would do that. This was far too personal to share with anyone anyways, and besides, who would I even tell?

"Anyways, meet me here next week after class. We've still got a lot to do before this club is ready!" she attempts to say in her more usual manner of speech. It's almost there, but not entirely back to normal yet. She's trying so hard though, I can't help but smile.

Suzumiya notices and half-heartedly growls at me. "Hey, just because I told you all that doesn't mean we're friends or anything you know. You're still my doppelganger, and I still don't trust you."

"Yeah, I know. But can we at least not be enemies?"

She takes a couple of seconds to think it over before hesitantly nodding in agreement.

"We wouldn't have been able to always argue anyways if you're going to be in my club." she hurries to add immediately after. "A ruler can't be seen getting in constant disagreements with her subjects after all."

I roll my eyes. Emotional moment or not, she's still Suzumiya Haruhi all right...

On some unspoken signal, we both turn to leave the room, ready to head home for the day.

**KHJSKHJS**

_-Koizumi-_

The vast maelstrom of unstable emotions finally begins to settle, and I very nearly collapse to the floor in relief.

* * *

Alright, major drama chapter over. I know this is listed under that heading, but I didn't really mean to take it _that_ far... hopefully I didn't bore anyone with this part. Sorry, but it had to happen, and now you know why this chapter took longer to come out than the others. I don't think I wrote it quite as well as the other chapters either; writing characters in conflict with themselves from a first person perspective is _hard_. All the same, now we get to move on to things that I consider vastly more important- as in, the supernatural bits. Finally!

So yes, Haruhi has this little talk with Kyon earlier, and is more open/honest with him than with canon Kyon for the same reason she shared it this early at all, even though she was also less than willing to talk to him about anything else. Kyon may be boring, as well as an "enemy/rival" in her eyes, but at least he understands her frame of mind- and therefore, he can empathize. So no, it's not really OOC, or at least I tried to keep it from seeming so. If I failed... well, I'm not perfect, and I apologize. I'll take suggestions on how to edit this if I agree with your ideas, so leave a few in a review if you're unsatisfied.

Please note that while Haruhi's little monologue here is essentially the same speech given in the novels/anime, I reworded it a bit to make it more indicative of the current situation. Besides, it wouldn't make sense to use the exact same words; Butterfly Effect making this take place in advance and all.

Speaking of, perhaps a butterfly somewhere caused you to pause and rethink the decision to not drop a review below, as it only takes maybe a minute?

...Wait, I know! I'll buy or catch a ton of butterflies, and then threaten to cause hurricanes/tornadoes all over the world if you don't write a quick review! Super-villain material, right here! REVIEW OR SUFFER THE WRATH OF THE BUTTERFLIES!

...where the hell was I going with this...?


	7. Names Have Power- Can Still Be Stupid

_-Haruhi-_

At the dawn of the next Monday, my body is practically filled to bursting with energy. There's so much to do! I spent the entire weekend planning and writing down ideas for the club, especially my idea on what to call it- I can't believe I forgot to give it a name last week! That little moment of weakness/insanity where I started empathizing with Average-guy (and then needing _him_ to empathize with _me_) really threw me off. I can't let myself get distracted like that again!

Mikuru should be waiting in the clubroom after school if she follows the directions I gave her when we left last week. Thankfully, after we had finished for the day the smiling guy took off on his own, so I didn't have to deal with that, and Yuki went right back in to the room after we left. She's a little weird- must be one of those quiet types, she had her head in a book the entire time we were there. Kind of suspicious! Maybe she's got some sort of secret, alternate persona that comes out when she's alone or something? Hard to say right now, but if she's going to be in my new clubroom all the time anyways (as a club member by association I suppose), I'm sure I'll have the chance to find out!

When Average-guy walks in, we don't say anything to each other- he just sort of nods in my direction before sitting down in front of me as per usual. Which reminds me, I still need to figure out what sort of terms we're on now. After Friday's... event, I suppose our rivalry is sort of unofficially over. He wasn't putting much effort in to that anyways, so that's no big loss I suppose- just kind of disappointing. So what does that make us...?

Wait, duh, he's in my club. Now the underling metaphor is even more appropriate! Hah! You answer to me now, Kyon!

The second after the thought passes I internally berate myself. As part of my own personal set of rules, I shouldn't even be _thinking_ of him by his "name". While I'll admit now that perhaps he isn't as "average" as I kept saying he is (at least, in personality; on the outside he's as boring as can be), I refuse to indulge him by using that stupid nickname he calls himself by. What to use now though...

I think up several variations that are plays on the word "bread" in reference to its dry, plain exterior, but discard them since none of them seem to fit properly or sound snappy enough. Maybe I can call him 'Kyon' in my head as long as I keep the sarcastic mental air quotes? But that still leaves me with nothing to refer to him as out loud...

Oh, forget it. This isn't worth the effort, he can just be "guy" or "you" for the moment.

Today's lessons end up going in one ear and right out the other. I swear we already went over this, but how could we possibly be repeating material less than a month in to the school year? Ugh. If you're going to teach, you could at least make it interesting. Even the dullest of subjects can draw you in when the instructor has passion, but most of the teachers here seem to be doing their best to make their lessons as tasteless as possible.

It's for this reason that when the bell rings to signify the end of the school day, I bolt from the room towards my newly acquired clubroom before anyone else, including my doppelganger, can even so much as leave their seats. This energy has to be spent on something after all!

When I arrive at what I now consider to be my clubroom, Yuki is somehow already inside, sitting and reading in the exact same position as she was last week. I'm actually kind of shocked- I ran here as fast as I could, and that's _fast_, so how'd she get here before I could?

My doppelganger sprints up behind me while I'm standing in the door, still trying to figure out how the quiet girl could have outsped me. Did she get out of class early?

"Suzumiya-san, you're blocking the doorway."

I'm snapped out of my reverie by the first part of his statement. Okay, that... that just doesn't sound right. It's "respectful" and all, but I think I need to put a stop to this, and quickly.

"Hey, stop calling me Suzumiya-san, would ya'? It sounds _really_ weird coming out of you." I tell him before entering the room. Seriously, it's like I'm talking to a different person.

He looks perplexed at my request, but nods after a few moments. "Alright, can I go back to using just Suzumiya then?"

"Sure." I say offhand. That's more disrespectful, but I didn't care before and I don't care now. It just sounds more... correct, coming from him. Now where is our Moe character...?

Just as I'm taking my rightful place in the seat nearest the window- the one presiding over the rest of the table- Mikuru arrives at the clubroom entrance as if summoned directly by my thoughts. She looks a little startled, which I assume is because everyone got here before her. 'Kyon' looks rather annoyingly happy to see her.

"Oh, um- am I late, Suzumiya-san?"

Well, she did get here last, so by my definition she is. "Yeah, you are! Where were you?!"

"A-ah... sorry..."

My male doppelganger looks about ready to say something following my appraisal of her lateness- it's not even 3:05 yet, so maybe that was a little harsh- but stops himself and looks away with an expression that says "there's no point" in all but words.

Oh, fine. I really shouldn't be angry unless she shows up late enough to inconvenience me. I'll be nice this time.

Before I can say anything however, Mikuru walks in with a little slump in her step- and trips, falling to the floor with the most _adorable_ scream I have ever heard.

So, she's not just cute as all hell, she's clumsy and apologetic. Of course she is. Because the looks, innocence, and complete unwillingness to stand up for herself apparently weren't enough. I'm starting to wonder- as happy as I am that I snagged a near-perfect club mascot, does this girl have any characteristics that _don't_ practically SCREAM Moe? If she does, I sure haven't seen them yet. It's like she was tailor made for the specific purpose of fitting this role!

Sort of strange, come to think of it...

I shake my head rapidly as my evil twin... guy... whatever helps Mikuru off the floor. I'm getting distracted.

"Mikuru-chan, since it's the first day, your chief has decided to grant you a one time pass on your tardiness! Don't let it happen again!" I declare as she brushes herself off and slides in to a seat, thrusting a finger forward to make the proclamation suitably dramatic.

The orange haired girl perks up a small bit at that, though not much.

"..._Chief_?" my doppelganger mutters, back in his own seat.

Oh, he'll learn soon enough...

"Alright!" I triumphantly exclaim, rising from my chair. "Let the first official meeting of the SOS Brigade commence!"

Reactions are not what I'd expected. Mikuru looks a little confused, her mouth hanging half open, and my doppelganger is just staring blankly at me, completely nonplussed. "The _what_?"

"Isn't it obvious? That's the name I decided on for our club! The **S**preading Excitement all **O**ver the World with **S**uzumiya Haruhi Brigade, or the SOS Brigade for short!"

It was the first name I came up with, and I immediately knew it was the one. It's perfect!

"...that is the dumbest excuse name obviously created solely for the use of its acronym that I've ever heard."

...so of course _he_ has a problem with it.

"And what exactly is _that_ supposed to mean?!" I angrily ask.

"Well for one thing, it doesn't exactly encapsulate this non-club's purpose very well given what we decided on last time." he flippantly replies. "For another, the acronym doesn't even work, because you left out over half the words!"

I'm not changing it, it's a good name! An awesome name, even! Frankly, it's _inspired_, even if he doesn't know it!

"Also, why are we a 'brigade', exactly?"

Because there's no reason we shouldn't be. Why would you even ask that?

'Kyon' just sits there looking exasperated.

"Oh, shut up! What's YOUR idea, genius?"

He pauses at my semi-rhetorical question and raises a curled hand to his mouth, seemingly mulling it over. Well, _this_ should be good.

"...The **S**earch and Study **O**f the **S**upernatural 'Brigade'. There, it keeps the acronym, and it makes a lot more sense."

You've got to be kidding me.

"Our name needs to sound _exciting_! That sounds like some sort of scientific association that does nothing but research all day!" I immediately retort. Not to mention it's missing my name! "And what do you mean it keeps the acronym, that adds an extra S!"

"You can ignore all the words YOU left out, but not the one extra S?"

"That's not the point! Besides, we're not _going_ to be studying them since we already know all about them, and we're going to be doing _more_ than just searching for them!"

Mikuru chooses this moment to finally speak up. "P-pardon me, but, w-what exactly _are_ we planning on doing...?"

I calm slightly at hearing her question. After a certain someone popped the question of what our "mission statement" was going to be on Friday, I actually spent a lot of time thinking about this question, so I'm fully prepared to deliver an answer. In fact, I've been waiting for this opportunity...

"Listen up club members!" I yell, stunning 'Kyon' in to silence. "Oh, and that includes you Yuki-chan!" Who I only just remembered is still sitting in the room.

Seeing that even she's now paying attention, I begin. "Today marks the start of the SOS Brigade! This is NOT something to be taken lightly! For we have a duty that we MUST carry out to the fullest extent of our abilities! "

My voice rises in intensity and passion, quickly reaching master orator levels.

"I expect every one of you to put in one hundred- no, two hundred... no, one THOUSAND percent of your effort towards this! For this is our sworn duty from this day forth!"

Everyone, even 'Kyon' is listening intently now.

"We of the SOS Brigade promise this! Our mission is to find any and all aliens, time travelers, espers, and sliders..."

I hold my head high and grin with all the confidence I'm currently feeling. "...and have fun with them!"

The end of my miniature speech does not provoke the results I'd expected or hoped for. Mikuru seems unsure whether she should be applauding or not, and Yuki is as silent as ever. However, to my amazement, 'Kyon'/Guy/whatever is actually _smiling_, slowly clapping his hands together.

"Gotta admit, that actually was pretty inspiring." he says. "Can we append 'and any other supernatural creatures' to that statement though? I'd rather not leave anything out."

Finally, something he approves of.

...not that his opinion really matters.

"That said, how exactly are we planning on doing this?"

My knee-jerk reaction is to almost get angry again, but to be fair, that's a legitimate question- and another one which I've already put a lot of thought in to. "Good question! For starters, we're going to be offering advice to anyone who currently is, was, or even senses they ever will be involved in a supernatural or mysterious event!"

"Huh?"

What, he doesn't get it? "Don't you see? That way, we won't even have to go out and find leads ourselves, because they'll be coming to us! As soon as we get everything set up, clients will come rolling in, you'll see!"

His response is simple. "...wait, so we're a help desk?"

Well when he puts it like THAT it sounds awful, but I know the idea is a good one, no matter what he says. I refuse to be swayed!

"I'm not saying it's a bad idea Suzumiya." my doppelganger says, holding his hands up to try and (I assume) reassure me. "I'm just trying to be clear. A 'help desk' doesn't sound like a terrible plan, though I would hope that's not all we're planning on doing. I doubt we can trust that they're all going to just fall on our doorstep simply because we're offering help."

"Of course not! I've got tons of ideas!"

"Right, ideas. Feel like elaborating on what exactly those-... hey, wait a second..."

'Kyon' looks directly at me with a flat expression. "You seem to have steered this conversation off topic- which was probably on purpose. Ideas are fine and all, but can we get back to the name issue before it's conveniently 'forgotten'?"

What the- no, because it's not an issue! Gah, I don't care if we're not strictly enemies anymore, this ends here!

"Look, what you think of it doesn't matter!" I shout, slamming my hands down on the table and causing Mikuru to cry out in surprise. "The name I've given this club has an important meaning that _you_ don't even know," I cut him off before he can ask the obvious question, "and no I will not explain it! As your Brigade Chief, I order you to drop this subject! The name is FINAL!"

"I- Wait, _Brigade Chief_? That was serious?!" he sputters.

I nod imperiously. "Exactly! And you may address me as such from now on!"

"And yet you couldn't put up with being called Suzumiya-san..." he murmurs while shaking his head at the table, possibly unaware that can _hear him_. "Okay, fine, what exactly does that make me then?" he asks at a more normal volume. "You said you'd give me some input in all this, so I should be Vice Chief or something then, right?"

I grin internally. Ohhhhhhh no, he's the lackey. Definitely the lackey. The only reason I agreed to that "I get some say" condition is because he didn't say _how_ much say I had to give him. If I wanted him to help, I had to say yes, and I needed to get away from him before he noticed the loophole he'd left. Sure, he can have some input- but _I _decide how much that input is and how much it matters. I can't say that out loud though, or he'll start another argument and we'll never get anywhere- so, I'll skirt the question.

"We'll decide on positions and such later. We're not an official club, remember?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Anyways, be sure to meet here every day after school from now on!" I exclaim, purposefully cutting him off. "Everyone, either show up or face death! The SOS Brigade is now open for business!"

**KHJSKHJS**

While I do actually have a ton of plans in mind, I can't put many of them in to motion just yet, so I have everyone (well, except Yuki) go home immediately after that. 'Kyon' looks particularly annoyed, probably because he'd thought there would be more going on for our first official day of functioning- did I say that there would be though? No. So he can suck it up and deal with it.

Unlike him and our mascot, I don't leave. Instead, I spend some time going around the school, nicking small items that no one will miss from other classrooms and clubs. A teapot, a radio, a desk and chair to serve as the Brigade Chief's throne- all of them are appropriated for the SOS Brigade's use. We probably need them more than anyone else does after all, and if this stuff wasn't protected or hidden well enough to prevent it from being taken, then that's their owners' fault. More for us!

I keep doing this for the next two days- weirdly, a couple of things I had been thinking about getting show up without my even getting them. A miniature freezer coincidentally shows up in the clubroom on the same day that I think to myself during class that we might need one. I guess Yuki must be bringing in some new stuff too, or something.

Next on the list is to get at least one more member. It has nothing to do with the rules for normal clubs- which apparently have a five member minimum requirement, or so says our far-too-nosy class representative, who thought it necessary to come up to me on Tuesday and explain such just in case I needed help making the club I "mentioned" on Friday- I just feel like we need at least five people because four doesn't seem like quite enough. Ideally, someone will show up _asking_ to join our soon-to-be-famous group on their own, but I can always drag another person in by force if I have to. Assuming I can find someone interesting enough to include, that is. A mysterious transfer student would be nice...

Come to think of it, that guy who was forcing a constant smile last week said he'd just transferred in, didn't he? But doing it only two weeks in isn't really all that strange... he should have waited another month or so. That would have been way more in line with the archetype.

Oh well. I'm sure someone will show up eventually. Maybe I can ask Tsuruya to join- which reminds me, I haven't gotten around to investigating her yet...

* * *

Okay, this chapter got so big that I had to split it in two- which means this one is a little short (comparatively), and everything I said about chapters 7-11? Add a one to all numbers in statements made.

Haruhi had all this planned out already because with the club made on a Friday, she had the entire rest of the day and weekend to think and plan for what it would need, unlike in canon where she was just making it up as she went and plucking ideas from the air. Here, she thought it all out beforehand, so she's got all the ideas pre-planned- which means it's going to be a busy rest of the week.

Oh, and remember, not being "not-rivals" anymore doesn't mean Kyon and Haruhi aren't going to get on each other's nerves occasionally, or in fact quite often. This is likely a consequence of Kyon being willing to speak up against Haruhi, but having actual limits on what he's willing to do, while Haruhi has pretty much none to speak of- as we will see next chapter.

Anyways, since this is just a quick chapter, you don't HAVE to review- but it would still be, you know, appreciated if you did. Or, maybe just leave an equally/equivalently quick review. YES, SPEED REVIEW! GO GO GO!


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